


Never Again

by kj_writes_stuff



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:48:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 55,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28058691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kj_writes_stuff/pseuds/kj_writes_stuff
Summary: Eleven years ago, Cora Unser moved to Tacoma, leaving behind her twin sister and father, and wanting to never return to Charming again. Yet, when an old friend calls and desperately asks for her help, she decides to take a chance and visit her hometown. While there, she receives some shocking news which makes her question whether she should move back to Charming forever.
Relationships: Happy Lowman/Original Female Character(s), Herman Kozik/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Sons of Anarchy fanfiction! I hope you enjoy! Don't be afraid to leave feedback, suggestions, thoughts, questions, etc.

Cora Unser loved everything about her job in Tacoma.

She worked as a substance abuse counselor at an outpatient clinic, mostly running group meetings and programs for recovering addicts. It didn’t seem like much, but it was the job that she had dreamed of having since high school. She wanted nothing more than to help people, and she had spent a lot of hard work trying to get to that point, going through six years of college education, plus a two-year internship, and a certification course. After all the time that she had invested, it was wonderful to know that she had finally made it, and that all of her sacrifices had been worth it. She had given up her old life and traded it in for a new life. Thus far, it was proving to have been a wise decision.

On a typical workday, Cora would arrive at the clinic early in the morning, coming in to help run the first support group of the day. She always opted to come in for the earliest shift possible, which her coworkers were quite appreciative of. She even worked overtime when she could, and she rarely took off. In fact, there was one summer when her boss had to force her to take vacation for legality’s sake. 

After all that, she became known as the office workaholic, though she took the label as a compliment rather than an insult. Her whole life was dedicated to her job, and she liked to keep it that way. She prided herself in being a hard worker, and she didn’t mind that her fixation on her work practically strangled any semblance of her social life.

On one particular morning, Cora found herself at work, as usual. She had come in early to run the first group meeting, and then led a second almost immediately after. After finishing up, she found herself on a lunch break, noon having crept in quicker than she had expected. The weather was fairly warm outside, which was rare in Tacoma, so she decided to take advantage of the opportunity and sit outside for lunch. There were a few picnic tables in the back parking lot that she could occupy. 

She grabbed her lunch bag from her office and headed through the lobby. As she made her way through the room, she noticed a tall, blonde man in a black jacket standing in front of the empty secretarial desk. When he heard her footsteps, he turned and looked her way, his blue eyes meeting hers. 

“Do you know where the secretary is?” he asked her in a gruff voice.

Cora looked back at him, and then back to the empty desk. “No, I’m not sure where she went,” Cora admitted. “She might be on a lunch break. That’s where I’m headed.” She held up her lunch bag, gesturing.

The man nodded understandingly. “Oh, well, do you think you could help me then?” 

Cora shrugged. She was no secretary, but she was always looking to help, especially if the task was work-related. “Sure, what do you need?”

The man shifted, as if nervous to ask. He cleared his throat. “Uh, I was wondering if there were any upcoming meetings, specifically group meetings for drug abuse.”

Cora grinned at his question. “Oh, I can definitely help you with that. I run the group meetings. We have all kinds of them.” Cora walked closer to him, coming to meet him at the front of the desk. He was a lot taller than he seemed from a distance. She reached over the ledge of the desk, and picked up a slip of paper, handing it to him, craning her neck to speak to him directly. “We have one tomorrow that you might like. It meets twice a week at 10 AM, no sign-ups necessary. You just sort of show up and stay for however long you want. We offer coffee and other snacks too.”

He took the paper slip from her hand, examining the typed information. “Sounds good,” he mused. He stuffed the paper into the pocket of his jacket before looking back at her. “I’m Herman Kozik, by the way. But you can just call me Kozik.”

Cora smiled at him, extending her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Kozik. I’m Coralie Unser, but you can just me Cora.”

He accepted her handshake, smiling at her as they shook hands. He had a nice smile; the sight of it made Cora’s heart practically leap in her chest. 

“Coralie’s an interesting name. Never heard it before,” he commented, stuffing his hands into his pockets, their handshake complete.

“It’s from a French novel,” Cora explained with a grin. “My mom was a librarian; she loved literature of all kinds.”

Cora’s name was something that she took pride in. It was a little odd and unheard of, but she liked that. It made her feel unique. Plus, knowing that her mom had chosen it for her always made it feel like a piece of her mom was still alive.

“So, what’s your job around here?” he asked inquisitively, shifting the subject. “Are you a doctor or something?” 

Cora stifled a laugh. “God no. Do you know how expensive it is to get a doctorate?”

Kozik gave a light shrug of his shoulders. “Not really. I never went to college. But I’ll take your word for it.”

Cora snorted at his comment. “Yeah, well you didn’t miss much by not going. Some colleges are only good for leaving people buried under mountains of debt.” She paused for a moment, before giving an answer to his initial question. “I may not be a doctor, but I am a certified substance abuse counselor.”

“Fancy title,” he remarked. He took a moment to study her further, noting the bronzy color of her skin, her glossy, black hair, her wide, sparkling brown eyes, and the nice blazer and pencil skirt that she wore. He found himself lost in thought, admiring her features. She was intriguing to him, but he couldn’t quite place why.

After a few moments of silence, Cora spoke up, her voice slashing through his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. “I should probably get going. My lunch break only lasts so long, and I have an important meeting later on today, so I’d like to eat.”

Kozik shook his head understandably. “Yeah, of course.” He took a step back, heading towards the door. “It was nice meeting you.”

“I hope to see you at the group session tomorrow,” Cora said, beaming. “It’s always nice to have some new faces.”

He nodded. “I’ll be sure to stop by.” 

“Good.” She cast him one last smile before turning and walking off, exiting out the back door with her lunch in hand. 

Kozik hung back a moment, staring at the door that she had just left through, his mind replaying the memory of her face, of every dimpled smile that she gave, of the way her eyes twinkled, and how she tilted her head to the side ever so slightly when she laughed. There was something mesmerizing about her, but he knew better than to dwell on the thought of her. 

He shook his head free of thoughts and turned, pushing through the glass doors to the outpatient clinic. It was time for him to get back to his brothers at SAMTAC.

*****

Cath Unser hated everything about her job at the diner.

Firstly, she hated having to wake up early. Somehow, she always got scheduled in the mornings. Being the night owl, and occasional night drinker, that she was, she often found herself working through lingering hangovers during her morning shifts, which was never pleasant, to say the least. 

Secondly, she hated her job because of the smell. The kitchen was oily, uncleanly, and it seemed that no matter how many times she showered or washed her clothes, she could never rid herself of the diner’s greasy scent.

But above all else, Cath hated having to wait on people. With her kind of luck, it came as no surprise that she was often the waitress that got assigned to the tables with the obnoxious kids and entitled adults. She was someone who had little patience for the rude and ignorant, and who liked to speak her mind, perhaps just a little bit too much. However, as a waitress, she didn’t really have that kind of free range. She had to be nice, no matter how frustrating the customers were; and even despite her niceness, she was still often undertipped. It had gotten so bad to the point that she was behind on her rent. She feared that an eviction notice would appear at her door any day now.

Yet, Cath stuck with the job. Sure, it sucked ass, but it was one of few jobs in town that required almost zero qualifications. And if there was one thing that Cath was qualified at, it was having almost zero qualifications. 

After a particular irking shift, Cath found herself eager to leave the diner. In just five hours, she had dealt with over a dozen families, half of which contained screaming toddlers. She had also dealt with four separate spills, three mixed-up orders, plus a jammed cash register. So, as soon as her shift was done, she jumped at the opportunity to leave and bolted out the doors.

She made a beeline for her car, an old, clunky Honda from 1991. It broke down more than it worked, but it was the best that she had. She couldn’t even afford her own apartment, so she knew better than to pine after the idea of getting a new car. 

She got into the Honda, and put the key in the ignition, trying to start the engine. It took a couple tries and some cursing before the car finally surged to life. Then she was off, cruising down the street, longing for her bed and the peace and quiet.

The drive from the diner to her apartment wasn’t long at all, and before she knew it, she was at her apartment and parking her car. As Cath got out of her vehicle and stepped onto the sidewalk, she noticed something off about her apartment. There was a note plastered to her front door, written in bright, red lettering; it was undoubtedly her eviction notice. 

“Shit,” she grumbled. She made her way up her apartment steps and stood before the damned note. She hadn’t expected it to come so soon. “What the hell am I going to do about this?”

Cath reached out to tear the note down but froze when she heard the sound of a car pull up and park behind her, followed by the opening and closing of its door. She peered over her shoulder ever so slightly, anxious to find out who was coming to see her, and was met with the sight of her father, Wayne Unser.

Cath immediately whipped her head back around, not wanting him to know that she had spotted him. She contemplated just entering into her apartment without saying anything to him, eager to avoid the conversation that was about to be had between them. But it was too late. Unser had already noticed her gaze, and was calling her name, making his way onto the sidewalk.  
Cath turned around, dreading the conversation that was about to take place; she had a feeling that the news of her upcoming eviction was not going to sit well with her father. Cath watched as he made his way up her apartment steps, and stopped before her, casting her a small smile. “Hey, Cathleen.”

“Dad,” Cath greeted. A moment of silence passed over them, her father not saying anything in response. He just stared at her, shifting in place nervously, as though something were on his mind. Eventually, Cath piped up, wanting to put an end to the silence. “So…what’re you doing here?”

Unser smoothed out his police uniform and fiddled with his badge. Cath noticed his lack of eye contact, which confirmed to her that he had something on his mind but was afraid to share it; he was afraid that just by looking him in the eyes, Cath would know what he was thinking.

Finally, Unser took a deep breath, and made an attempt to proceed, his voice raspy. “I…I just got some pretty bad news.”

“Worse than my news?” Cath asked dryly, feeling the presence of the eviction notice behind her, practically burning a hole through her skull.

Unser cocked his head to the side, and looked past his daughter, who was blocking the note from view. His eyes locked sight with the bold, red lettering which screamed: EVICTION NOTICE. Yet, rather than ask about the note, he merely chuckled at his daughter’s joke, a hint of nervousness still lingering in his voice. “Yeah, I think so.”

Cath blinked, studying her father for a few moments before prompting him to keep talking. “Well, what is it?”

Unser didn’t respond at first, as if still trying to piece his thoughts together, until he finally looked up at Cath and spoke. “I have cancer.”

The instant the words left his mouth, Cath felt her jaw drop. Of all the news to receive, this was not what she had been expecting. 

“Cancer?” She echoed his response back to him in utter disbelief. 

“Yeah, bladder cancer,” he confirmed. “It’s stage three.”

“Holy shit.” Cath didn’t know how to react to his news. Her father was standing before her, basically telling her that he was dying. What more could she say? Was there even an appropriate way to respond to such an announcement?

Unser’s voice cut through Cath’s flurrying thoughts. “Yeah, I said the same thing when the doctor’s gave me my tests back,” he remarked. “I went in a few weeks ago because I—¬” He stopped himself. “Never mind. You probably don’t want to hear about the symptoms.”

Cath didn’t even attempt to laugh at her father’s comment. The whole world felt woozy as she struggled to wrap her head around her father’s news. “Are you starting treatment?” she asked, slight panic setting in.

He nodded at her question. “Yeah, the doctors are recommending it, so I might as well give it a try.”

“And your job? Are you retiring?”

“What do you think?” he responded, as if the answer were obvious. “They’ve been trying to find an excuse to replace me for a while now. I can sense that they’ve been getting fed up with my cooperation with SAMCRO.” 

Cath’s mind was flooded with thoughts of the infamous Sons of Anarchy; she was quite acquainted with them. Her father was a childhood friend of the club’s matriarch, Gemma Teller Morrow; as a result, he had a bit of a soft spot for the club, making deals with them and looking the other way when necessary. Because of Unser’s friendship with SAMCRO, Cath grew up alongside Gemma’s son, Jax, and had become a close friend to him.

Now that she was older and legally an adult, she had also become close with many of the other members. She spent a lot of her time hanging out with them, partying, drinking, sometimes sleeping around. However, she didn’t consider herself to be a croweater; she just preferred to think of herself as a good friend to the club, one who helped reinforce their connection with Unser, and ensured that he would never turn on them. 

Cath snapped from her thoughts, giving a response to Unser’s comment. “Of course they’re fed up. Why do you think they pushed for Captain America to be your Deputy Chief?” Cath paused, a realization hitting. “Shit, he’s going to replace you, isn’t he?”

Unser nodded. “I have a meeting with the council about my diagnosis tomorrow; they’re likely to vote in favor of his promotion.” 

“Does SAMCRO know he’s going to be taking over?”

“Not yet,” Unser replied. “I know there is going to be some pushback from them once I share the news, so I’ve been holding off on telling them. I’ll have to put my foot down though when I do. I’ve cooperated with them for a long time, and Gemma has been a good friend of mine since I was a kid, but I’m old and dying. I can’t keep doing this job for much longer.”

“How long you got?”

Unser shrugged at Cath’s question. “A few weeks. Maybe more, maybe less. I don’t know at this point; it still needs sorted out.”

Another question popped into Cath’s head, but it was one that she was hesitant to ask. After a few moments or wrestling around with the idea, she took a deep breath, and dared to steer the conversation in a direction that she normally avoided. “Have you told Cora yet?”

Unser’s eyes went wide at the mention of his other daughter, of Cath’s twin. “No, I haven’t.”

Cath wasn’t surprised by his response, yet she still rolled her eyes and scoffed anyway. “Of course.”

“You know I can’t tell her. Coralie’s busy with her life in Tacoma. She’s finally happy; she’s made something of herself.”

“But it’s okay for me to know because I’m not successful like her, right?” Cath retorted. “Since I’m the screw-up and she’s perfect, she gets to opt out of family obligations?”

Unser didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. Cath knew that she was speaking the truth. Unser loved both Cath and Cora, there was no doubt about it, but he always showed a bit more leniency towards Cora. He saw so much of his late wife in her and wanted her to succeed and live her life to the fullest. He didn’t want to be the one to hold her back, and so he let everything be on her terms, even if that meant that Cora lived twelve hours away and visited only twice a year.

However, Cath’s feelings towards Cora were quite the opposite. Cath felt that Cora was being negligent towards her family and had allowed her life in Tacoma to distract her from what really mattered. Cath felt like her sister needed to prioritize her family more, and in Cath’s mind, the best way of doing that was by moving back to Charming permanently. Yet, Cora remained adamant about staying in Tacoma, and visited Charming less and less. With every passing year, the twins grew farther apart; Cath felt like she barely knew who her sister was anymore, and that upset her immensely. 

“You should at least let her know,” Cath said, relaxing her tone a bit, hoping deep down that maybe her father’s diagnosis might be the push to finally get Cora back home. “At least let her decide what she wants to do about this situation. Because this isn’t about me or her anymore; this is about what’s best for you, dad. You’re the one with cancer, and she might want to come support you.”

Once again, Unser was silent, as if still pondering what to do. After a few passing seconds, he finally piped up. “I’ll think about it, sweetheart,” he said, quietly. He turned and started to walk back down the steps to Cath’s apartment, before stopping abruptly, another thought striking him. “What are you going to do about the eviction?” he asked her, head turning slightly. “You’ve got ten days before you have to be fully moved out, right?”

Cath nodded. “Yeah, the eviction isn’t official until ten days from now. I still won’t be able to pay up in time though.” 

“So, where are you going to stay?” Her father had turned himself fully back around, and she could see the concerned look on his face.

Cath merely shrugged, trying to act as though everything were fine. “I’ll find somewhere to crash until I can save up for a new place. Maybe one of the Sons will let me stay with them. You might be trying to get out of their pocket, but I sure as hell am not.”

“Why don’t you just stay with me?” The offer left Unser’s mouth without a second thought.

Cath had to forcibly restrain herself from laughing. “Are you kidding? I’m not living with you. I’m a grown woman; I can’t live with my—”

Unser cut her off. “You need a place to stay. And it’s like you said: this isn’t just about you, it’s about me. I’m alone, Cathleen, and I’m worried about all this cancer shit. I don’t want to go through it by myself. You being in this situation just seems like a perfect coincidence.”

Cath bit her lip, and her mind waged a war with itself. She hated feeling pitied and like she couldn’t fend for herself, yet at the same time, she needed a place to stay, and she also knew that she couldn’t just abandon her father in a time like this. She wasn’t Cora. She wasn’t too good for her own family and her hometown. Yes, she was a bit of a mess, but she was at least loyal to Charming and to her family.

Cath sighed, giving in. “Fine. I’ll stay with you. But only until I can afford a new place.”

Unser smiled at her. “Better get packing then.”

Cath snorted at him as he turned and headed back down the steps. When he reached his car, he turned and waved to her. She waved back, shaking her head lightly, in disbelief of the conversation they’d just had. She watched as her father got into his police car and drove off, leaving her to her thoughts and to the stupid red eviction notice behind her.  
She had better get packing indeed.

*****

It was later in the evening, and Cora was helping close up the clinic for the night. The rest of her workday had gone by smoothly, much to her delight, but after it all, she was feeling tired.

She was in the middle of locking up the front doors when her phone rang. It was rare that she got calls from people, so she pulled her phone out eagerly, curious to see who it was from. Needless to say, it was a call from someone that she had not been expecting to hear from; this call was from an old friend, someone of the past, someone from her life before Tacoma, the life that she had traded in.

“Jax Teller?” The words escaped her lips before she could even comprehend them. Jax Teller had been her childhood friend, and to a degree, she still considered him to be a friend. Yet, it was rare that the two spoke; the only time they ever saw each other anymore was when she would visit her hometown, and those visits had become shorter and more infrequent than ever. 

Cora studied the phone in her hand for a few seconds before finally deciding to answer, the curiosity eating away at her. She finished locking up the doors and quickly accepted the call, holding it up to her ear. There was a click on the other end of the line, and she heard him speak.

“Hey, Cora.” 

His voice sounded just as she remembered it to sound, and she felt a small smile spread across her face. “Jax,” she greeted. “It’s been awhile.” 

“Yeah, it certainly has.” There was a brief pause on his end. “When was the last time you came to visit?” he finally asked.

Cora bit her lip, trying to think back to when she was last there; it took longer for her to remember than she would’ve liked to admit. “The last time I visited was for Christmas, so it’s been about five months.”

“How come I didn’t see you?”

“I only stayed for two days,” Cora confessed. “Something came up with work and I had to leave early before I could check in on any of you guys. I haven’t really felt the need to come back since. Cath, dad, and I never have anything to talk about anyway; we all just sit in tense silence most of the time. Either that or Cath makes passive aggressive comments about me choosing to stay in Tacoma. ”

Jax didn’t say anything in response at first; he just took a deep breath in. Finally, he spoke again, his voice laced with doubt. “So, I take it you’re not looking to come down anytime soon?”

His response puzzled Cora. “Why do you ask?”

“You know that my ex, Wendy, is expecting, right?”

Cora raised an eyebrow, confused as to where this conversation was going. “I remember someone mentioning it to me at some point, yeah.”

She could hear Jax take a deep breath from the other end of the phone before proceeding. “She’s a meth addict; she’s been trying to stay clean, but since we split up and I told her we were done, she’s started using again. I’ve tried talking to her about it, but she won’t listen to me, and she’s stopped answering my calls. So, I—”

Jax didn’t even have to finish his sentence; Cora already knew what he was going to ask of her. “You want me to come to Charming to talk to her?”

He gave a quiet “yeah” from the other end.

Cora ran a hand through her hair, stressed, and unsure of how to respond. She wanted to help her friend, but at the same time, she didn’t want to go back to Charming. It brought up too many painful memories for her, and often led to more trouble than good. Plus, she didn’t even have a car to get down there; she had sold her car because almost everywhere she went on a regular basis was within walking distance of her apartment. Taking a bus was always an option, but bus tickets were an ungodly amount of money.

Drawing a shaky breath, Cora gave her response. “Jax, I don’t think I can come down.” She paused, filled with guilt. “I’m sorry.”

“Just think about it, okay?” His tone seemed pleading. “Please. I could really use your help. And I promise, it won’t require more than a few days of your time; nothing big will go down while you’re here.”

Cora sighed, her guilt getting the best of her. “Fine. I’ll think about it and get back to you.” She couldn’t promise anything, but she would certainly consider his request. 

“Thanks, Cora.” 

Jax hung up, and the phone went silent. Cora pulled it away from her ear and stuffed it back into the pocket of her blazer, worry coursing through her body. She had no idea what she was going to do.

Cora hated going back home to Charming. Every time she went, it just served as a reminder of all the awful things that had happened leading up to her departure. From her mother dying to her high school boyfriend breaking up with her, returning reminded her of too many painful memories. Ultimately, she had escaped to Washington to go to college, but she knew deep down that she had gone so far away because she didn’t want to face the reality of her life in Charming.

When she had gone, her father, Wayne Unser, was initially ecstatic to see her leaving home; he saw so much of his late wife in Cora, and so naturally, he wanted his daughter to do well for herself. But Cora’s twin, Cath, felt differently. The two had been very close throughout their childhood, so Cath didn’t want to see her sister leave, yet Cora did anyway. Cora knew that Cath had taken her escape as a betrayal and wanted nothing more than to get her to return home for good, but it was something that she just couldn’t bring herself to do.

Cora had a big decision to make, and she had no idea where to even start.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the next morning, and as usual, Cora found herself at work. The lights were already on when she made it to the front doors of the clinic; the secretary was usually there before her to unlock everything and set up for the day, being one of the more “early bird” employees like Cora.

Cora pushed open the front doors, yawning as she did so. She had barely slept all night, tossing, turning, and mulling over the decision that she had to make regarding Jax Teller. As a counselor, she wanted nothing more than to go and help his ex, Wendy, but the situation seemed void of practicality. Cora had no way of getting down to Charming, unless Jax was willing to buy her a bus ticket or come get her himself. Plus, there was the added bonus of her family waiting for her when she arrived. As much as she loved her family, she didn’t have the energy to stomach any interaction with them, specifically with her twin. Cora was finally at a place in her career where she was happy; she didn’t want to deal with her sister giving her hell over her success and guilt tripping her about staying in Tacoma. 

Cora entered into the clinic’s lobby, greeting the secretary as she passed by, making a beeline for her office. She had a meeting to get ready for; it wasn’t for another hour, but she wanted some time to set up, put out snacks, organize chairs, and whatnot. She was a bit of a control freak; she liked having order, and her workplace often guaranteed that.

After dropping her lunch bag and purse in her office, Cora headed into the meeting room where the group session was to be held. She turned on the coffee pot and then rummaged around in a cabinet and found some cookies to put out on the snack table. 

Once the food situation was figured out, Cora set out chairs, putting them in a circle. She wasn’t sure how many people were going to show, but going off of last week’s crowd, she figured there’d be about ten or so in attendance.

Then, she remembered the tall, blonde man from the previous day; he had called himself Kozik. He was going to be there, or so he said. 

Cora didn’t know what it was, but there was something about him that struck her. It wasn’t often that she took a liking to people, especially upon first meeting, but there was something about him that she liked. He seemed good-natured and friendly but also held an air of mystery about him. She was intrigued, to say the least, and hoped that he would attend the meeting after all. She was eager to learn more about the circumstances which brought him to the clinic.

Cora arranged the chairs, shifting them back and forth until they seemed evenly apart. Then she got out the sign-in sheet. The meetings themselves didn’t require sign-ups, because they were open to all, but they did require sign-ins, as a way of keeping record in case something bad were to happen later down the road.

She set out the sheet on a small table by the front door and glanced up at the clock. People would be arriving at any moment. She went and took a seat at her chair in the circle, waiting for the different attendees to show. After a few minutes, people began filing themselves in; most of the faces were familiar and waved at her as they entered, signing in, and taking their usual seats in the circle.

There was one face, however, that was unfamiliar to the group, but familiar to Cora: Kozik. He entered into the room, a look of uncertainty on his face until he locked eyes with Cora. She waved lightly at him and gestured to the sign-in sheet. He looked down at it, and then picked up the pen, signing his name.

He then made his way across the room. There were only a few available spots; conveniently, the seat next to Cora was still open. He walked through the center of the circle and sat down in the seat next to her.

She cast him a welcoming grin as he sat. “Glad you could make it.” He turned his head to look at her, smiled, and nodded in response.

Glancing up at the clock, Cora saw that it was time to start. She asked the person on the other side of the room to close the door; then she began her usual speech and introduction. The room fell silent; everyone watched as she spoke and went through the protocol of the day.

The meetings consisted of simple introductions, stating names and other small facts. From there, the meetings became more of an open forum; they were really just a way for people to have a space to talk about their problems openly, free of judgement.

Once done with her spiel, Cora turned to the member to her left, asking him to start off the meeting. He obliged and introduced himself. Then after him, the next person went, and so on, until eventually, it was Kozik’s turn; he was the last one to go.

He introduced himself to the group, and then shared a piece of information about himself, as directed. “I’ve been sober for six years.” 

His words struck Cora. She was surprised to hear that he was sober for so long, especially considering that she had seen him for the first time just the other day. Perhaps he was struggling with relapsing then? 

She made a mental note to ask him more about it later, and continued on with the meeting, not allowing herself to get distracted from her job. She went through the meeting as normal; everyone who wanted to speak had a chance to share their experiences, ask for advice, talk about what they learned. Not everyone said something, Kozik included, but Cora could tell that everyone was listening. There was something therapeutic about being with others who understood, others who didn’t judge, and who just wanted to get better. Cora always loved that element of her job.

Soon enough, the end of the meeting arrived, bringing things to a close. Cora gave her thanks to the group, before telling everyone to feel free to take whatever snacks they wanted on their way out. The other members got up, thanking Cora in return, then flocked to the snack table, taking the coffee and cookies that she had set out. Kozik, however, hung back.

Cora took this as an opportunity to talk to him a bit and figure out more about him, especially considering that he hadn’t chimed in during the meeting and had only given up information about his sobriety. She turned to him, gaze locking on his sapphire eyes.

“So, you’ve been sober for six years?” she asked. He nodded in response, reconfirming. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what are you doing back here?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

Kozik shrugged. “I just drove by the other day, thought it might be nice to come check things out again. It’s always good to remember where you started, you know?” He paused for a moment, looking over at the snack table, which was no longer crowded, as people were making their making their way out of the room. He stood up, continuing their conversation as he went to the snack table; Cora followed suit. “This place holds some bad memories for me, but it’s good to face ‘em, to make myself remember how far I’ve come.”

Cora swallowed nervously, his words hitting her, reminding her of her own situation with Charming. 

Kozik furrowed his brow, noticing the shift in her demeanor. “You good?”

Cora looked back up, nodding. “Yeah,” she replied.

He continued, accepting her faked assurance. “Besides, it’s nice to come hear other people’s stories, maybe lend some advice. Being a junkie took away years of my life, years I’ll never get back. I don’t want others to have to go through that same shit.” He took a bite of the cookie he was holding, chewing and swallowing it before continuing with his train of thought. “I mean, that’s why you got into this work, right? Because you want to help people, no matter what?”

Cora managed a nod, her mind whirring. Once again, she felt like Kozik was somehow looking into her thoughts, as if he knew about the phone call through some sort of cosmic power. Everything he was saying felt relevant to her. The talk about facing the past, helping people no matter the situation, it was all too coincidental. 

He finished the cookie, looking at Cora quizzically as she continued to swim through her thoughts, fighting against the tide of her mind, trying not to drown in the sea of her indecision.

“You sure you’re alright?” 

His voice brought her back to reality, saving her amidst the chaos of her mind. She blinked, refocusing her gaze on him. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just didn’t sleep too well last night.”

He nodded understandingly. “Sorry to hear that.” He paused, looking up to the clock before looking back down at Cora. “It was nice talking to you, but I’ve gotta head out now.”

Cora glanced up at the clock, noting the time. “Yeah, I’ve got to get ready for the next meeting.” She grinned at him. “Glad you could come.”

“Me too.” Kozik smiled at her before turning and taking a few steps towards the door. But before he could leave, Cora piped up, calling out to him. 

“Do you think you’ll be back for another session?”

Kozik turned back around, looking to her, considering the question. “I don’t know. My work keeps me on my toes. But I’ll try and come in again sometime. You run a nice program.”

Cora grinned at his compliment and waved to him as he said “goodbye.” She watched as he turned and left through the door, leaving her to her thoughts.

Everything he had said about facing the past, about helping others, stuck with her. The more she reflected on his words to her, the guiltier she felt at the thought of not helping Wendy. Her reasons for not going were selfish, through and through. She was letting her fear get to her, and it was keeping her from helping someone who needed her. Her whole job was based around the principal of helping people, so how could she possibly turn Jax’s offer down? What kind of a counselor would she be?

“A shitty one,” she mumbled to herself, answering her own question. She would be a shitty counselor, not to mention a shitty friend, if she didn’t go to Charming to help with Wendy. It was her job to help people, no matter what; and that’s exactly what she was going to do.

Sighing, Cora took her phone out of her pocket, and dialed up Jax’s number. She had made her decision; now it was time to tell him.

The phone rang as she held it to her ear, nervously awaiting his voice. After a few moments, she heard the click of him accepting the call. Shaking, Cora took a breath, and opened her mouth to speak. 

“I’ll help you.” 

She heard Jax give a sigh of relief in response. “Thank you,” he breathed, his tone laced with pleasant surprise. “I really appreciate you agreeing to talk to her.”

“Of course,” Cora replied, a small smile forming. She knew that she was doing the right thing in accepting his offer. “I do have a few requests, however.”

“Sure, what are they?” Jax asked, willing to agree to whatever to get Cora’s assistance.

“I want to stay in one of the clubhouse dorms while I’m there.” 

Jax hummed in approval. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Also, I don’t have a car,” Cora remarked. She heard Jax snort from the other end; it didn’t surprise her though. For someone like Cora, who was so put-together and professional, not having a car seemed a bit uncharacteristic. Ignoring Jax’s reaction, Cora continued. “I don’t want to buy myself a bus ticket; they’re expensive. So, I’ll either need you to buy me one, or you’ll have to come get me yourself.”

“Is it okay if I send someone else?” he asked. “I’ve got some friends up at SAMTAC that could probably give you a lift.”

Cora shrugged. “Sure, why not?” She didn’t know much about the SAMTAC crew; she didn’t have any ties to them. The only reason that she was so involved with SAMCRO was because of her father and his friendship with the club’s matriarch, Gemma. 

“Alright. I’ll have him pick you up tomorrow. Is 9 AM okay? The drive is long, so I’d prefer it if you left sooner rather than later.”

“That’s fine,” Cora responded. She knew that this trip would require her to take off work for a few days, but she knew that it wouldn’t be a problem. After all, she was someone who never took vacation time. It was likely that her boss would jump for joy at the news rather than become angry. 

“Awesome. See you tomorrow night then,” Jax replied. Cora could sense the smile on his face; it made her feel better about her decision to help. She knew that she was doing the right thing.

“See you then.”

*****

It was later in the day and Kozik was hanging out at the SAMTAC clubhouse, drinking a beer while some of his brothers played a game of pool. He wasn’t paying much attention to the game before him though; instead, his mind was elsewhere.

He kept sorting through the earlier events of the day, when he had attended that group meeting at the outpatient clinic. He hadn’t told any of his brothers about going, not wanting to worry them or make them assume that he was on the brink of relapsing. He also knew that a lot of them thought therapy was bogus, so he was trying to avoid getting shit from them about it too.

In addition to hiding the meeting from the club, he hid the club from the meeting. He had worn a jacket over his kutte when he went; the club was pretty adamant about staying out of drugs, so he didn’t want to make his ties to the club known in case it might give anyone false suspicions. The kutte also made him seem unapproachable at times, so he didn’t want to run the risk of scaring any of the other people there.

But it wasn’t the fact that he was keeping the truth about the meeting secret that was weighing in his mind, rather a particular person from the meeting: Cora, the substance abuse counselor. He kept seeing her in his head, and their conversations kept playing on repeat, ringing through his ears. From their interactions, he could tell that she a nice girl, nothing short of sweet and smart. And he couldn’t stop thinking about all of the smiles that she had cast his way, and the blazer and pencil skirt she had on, with her black hair pulled back, and her brown eyes observing the room with intensity.

He didn’t know why she interested him so much, and that was what made her stick in his mind all the more. He was someone who would get in his head about the smallest things, replaying them over and over until he had answers. But sadly, he had no answers regarding her.

Distracted and caught up in his thoughts, Kozik didn’t even notice as one of his closest friends, Happy, came up behind him. Happy clapped him on the back without warning, startling Kozik, making him spill some of his beer on himself

Kozik snapped himself out of his thoughts, steadying himself and his beer before it could leak further. “Shit, Hap.” 

Happy laughed at Kozik’s reaction. “Gotta be more alert next time,” he chuckled, taking a seat next to Kozik, who was still wiping the beer off his kutte. When he was done, Happy looked at him, asking, “Where were you this morning?”

Kozik frowned. He should’ve known that Happy would take notice of his absence. He was one of the deadliest, stealthiest, most observant people that Kozik knew; that’s how he became known as the Tacoma Killer.

But rather than fess up, Kozik brushed off Happy’s inquiry. “I went for a ride, wanted to clear my head,” he said casually.

Happy nodded, thankfully buying the lie, choosing not to dwell on the topic. Instead, he switched the conversation to something else. “Just got a call from Jax Teller,” he said.

Kozik raised a brow at that. “I haven’t heard that name in a while. What did he want?” 

“Some friend of his needs a ride down to Charming. The girl doesn’t have a car, so he asked me to take her.”

“You need any help?” Kozik tried not to come off too eager with his offer, but the thought of having an excuse to head back to SAMCRO excited him. He loved SAMTAC, but SAMCRO was where he had prospected, and it was where he wanted to be; a certain person just kept him from being there permanently.

Happy shook his head at Kozik’s offer. “Nah, I’m good. The trip shouldn’t be a hassle.”

Kozik nodded, accepting Happy’s answer. He would just have to try and find an excuse to go down another time. For now, whoever this mystery girl was would just have to deal with Happy.

“Just don’t scare the poor girl,” Kozik remarked.

Happy smirked. “I’ll try not to.”

*****

Cath stood in front of her car, cursing at it as she waited for the tow truck to arrive. The stupid piece of shit had decided to break down on her before she could even leave the diner parking lot and head home to finish moving her stuff to her dad’s house.

Grumbling, she waited, until finally she saw the tow truck enter the parking lot. It stopped beside her car, and a familiar face got out of the driver’s seat: Jax Teller. Cath waved to him as he made his way over to her.

“I keep telling you to get a new car, don’t I?” he asked, smirking at her.

Cath rolled her eyes. Jax was like a brother to her; they’d known each other since they were in diapers, and so he always felt it necessary to tease her about the most mundane shit.

“Yeah, I know I need a new one,” Cath shot back. “Can’t really afford it though. I got thrown out of my apartment; I’m moving back in with my dad.”

Jax snorted at that. “Bet that’ll be fun.” He walked around her car before stopping in front of it, popping the hood. He peered inside and poked around a bit before looking back to Cath. “Yeah, you’re going to need a new engine,” he remarked. “This one’s fried.”

“Of course,” Cath grumbled. “Just my fucking luck.”

Jax shut the hood, making his way back to Cath. “You know, I could fix it for free.”

Cath stopped herself from lurching forward and hugging Jax, realizing that this kind of offer was too good to be true; there was something he was going to want in return.

“And why would you do that?” she asked suspiciously.

He put his hands up, as if proclaiming his innocence. “Look, it’s nothing bad.” He paused, as if searching for the best way to explain his bargain. “I asked Cora to come home,” he finally admitted.

The words left his mouth and Cath could’ve sworn her heart stopped, disbelief flooding her. Unser was still being stubborn about telling Cora the truth, but now here Jax was, saying that he had invited Cora to come back to Charming, and it wasn’t even because of anything to do with Unser; he had yet to even tell the Sons about his cancer.

Searching for answers, Cath prompted Jax to keep talking. “Why’d you invite her down here?”

“Because of Wendy. She’s been using again and won’t listen to me. I want Cora to come down here and talk some sense into her; my boy’s life is on the line.”

Cath nodded; it made sense for him to call Cora. She was a substance abuse counselor and a close friend to the club; they didn’t like getting help from outsiders. Getting Cora’s helped seemed like the only reasonable option in this situation. And at the same time, it made for the perfect opportunity for Cora to find out about Unser’s cancer after all. “So, what does this have to do with our deal?”

Jax looked at Cath, eyes squinting against the sun. “I’ll fix your car for free if you agree to avoid the clubhouse for a few days; I don’t need you stirring up any trouble with Cora. I promised her that this trip was going to be short and painless.”

Cath nodded to Jax. “Yeah, that seems doable.” She paused for a moment, clarifying, “I love Cora to death. I’m never intentionally looking to start shit with her. Things just get heated because we’re both stubborn and can’t see eye to eye.”

Jax shrugged. “I know it sucks, but let it be. Some people just aren’t meant for Charming.”

Cath nodded despite her disagreement with his statement. 

Cora was meant to be in Charming, but she was just too scared to admit it; she kept running from the past like it was a serial killer hunting her down. But with Jax bringing her down to Charming, Cath had the opportunity that she needed to get Cora to stay; all she had to do was get Cora to find out the truth about Unser, and she was likely to be hooked. Of course, with this new deal with Jax, getting the truth to Cora would be difficult, as Cath couldn’t do it herself, but she was determined to find a way. Cath was going to win her twin back, no matter what.


	3. Chapter 3

It was the next morning and Cora was packing her bag, getting ready to leave for Charming. She had no idea who Jax was sending to get her, but he had told her to be ready by 9 AM, so she was scrambling to get packed in time.

Just as she finished throwing in the last bit of clothes that she wanted to bring, there was a knock at her front door. She grabbed her bag and hauled it to the entryway, setting it down at her feet as she opened the door to meet her SAMTAC “chauffer.”

When she opened the door, she was greeted with the sight of a tall, intimidating man. He was bald and had dark, piercing eyes; his arms were covered in tattoos, and he wore a grim expression on his face. Cora looked up at him questioningly, as if in disbelief that someone so menacing actually existed. “Did Jax send you?” she managed to get out.

The man gave a small nod, his stony expression never wavering. “Yeah, you Cora?” She nodded in return, expecting him to give her his name too, but instead he abruptly pointed behind him. “You ready to go?”

Cora picked up the bag that she had placed at her feet. “Yeah, I am,” she responded, confusion laced in her voice. “Aren’t you going to give me your name though?”

“Happy.” He uttered his response very matter-of-factly.

She blinked at him, dumbfounded. He looked the exact opposite of his name. But rather than mention that, Cora merely agreed, saying, “I see the resemblance.” 

Happy didn’t say anything in response to that comment. Instead, he turned and started walking away, calling behind him, “You might want to change outta that.”

She glanced down at the nice outfit she had on; she was wearing her usual skirt, accompanied by a purple blazer. “What’s wrong with this?”

Happy stopped and turned back around, raising an eyebrow at her, the first hint of emotion showing itself on his face. “You really wanna ride a motorcycle in a skirt?”

Cora froze. “A motorcycle?” she echoed. “I thought this was a car trip.”

Jax had never said anything about her having to ride a motorcycle, though considering that she was dealing with a biker gang, she supposed that riding a motorcycle to Charming should’ve come as a given.

“Do I look like someone who drives a car?” Happy asked, his face serious.

Cora didn’t answer; she knew that his question was rhetorical. Instead, she sighed, tossing him her bag of clothes. Then she turned and headed back inside her apartment to change into actual pants.

Cora hated pants, and she avoided them at all costs. It often earned her a lot of ridicule from people; she got called a priss more than she got complimented, but skirts were just much more comfortable than pants. Yet, she knew that trying to go on a twelve-hour motorcycle ride in a pencil skirt was impractical. So, she put her grumbling aside and changed into a pair of jeans.

Once she was changed, she headed back outside, locking her apartment on her way out. She then made her way down her apartment steps and to the parking lot where Happy was sitting on his bike, smoking a cigarette.

“I’m ready to go now,” she told him.

He nodded, and tossed the cigarette to the ground, putting it out with a stomp of his foot. Then he got on the bike and put on his helmet; Cora followed suit, though she was nervous and truly had no idea what she was doing. Despite her connection to SAMCRO, she had never actually ridden a motorcycle before; they had always scared her.

As if sensing her fear, Happy asked, “You ever ride before?” Cora shook her head, to which Happy chuckled. “Better hold on tight then.” She swallowed anxiously as Happy revved up his motorcycle.

This was going to be a long twelve hours.

*****

After what felt like an eternity of riding, Happy finally decided to take a break at a rest area and let Cora have a moment to recover from the motorcycle ride. She sat herself down on a bench outside the small rest stop building while he sat on the edge of his bike, smoking another cigarette under the mid-afternoon sun.

She took a few seconds to steady her breathing. After her experience today, she could confirm that her fear of motorcycles was justified. 

Noticing her traumatized expression, Happy offered Cora a cigarette. “You smoke?”

Cora looked up at him. “Do I look like someone who smokes?” she remarked, echoing his earlier comment.

Happy chuckled lowly. “No, you don’t.” He pocketed the cigarette that he had offered to her before asking, “So, how does a girl like you know Jax Teller?”

Cora shrugged nonchalantly. “He’s just an old friend. We grew up together because my dad’s close with his mom, Gemma.”

“Who’s your dad?” Happy wondered, taking another puff of his cigarette.

“My dad’s the Chief of Charming PD, Wayne Unser.”

“That pasty old guy?” 

Cora gave a nod, fighting a smile. “Yeah, that’s him.”

“Woulda never guessed,” he smirked.

Cora couldn’t help but snort at that. What Happy said was true; she looked nothing like her dad. She had inherited almost all of her mom’s genes, her dad’s DNA somehow getting lost in the mix.

Happy stood up abruptly, flicking his finished cigarette to the ground, stomping on it to extinguish the flame. “I’ve gotta take a piss. I’ll be back.”

“Way to be discreet,” Cora mumbled to herself. She watched as Happy walked off, disappearing into the rest stop building. He was certainly an odd guy, somewhat intimidating, and very blunt, though she kind of liked that about him.

Looking away from the building, Cora found herself thinking about Charming, about what she was coming to do. She was only several hours away, and could feel her stomach start to churn at the thought of driving into town, passing the sign which introduced Charming to all who visited. 

She knew that her fear of the town was irrational; and as a counselor, she knew that running away from it was not a good coping strategy, and yet she avoided it anyway. It was always easier to preach her teachings rather than to practice them.

Cora’s mind wandered to the thought of her father, a sense of guilt coursing through her veins. She didn’t have any ill will towards him; it was Cath that she clashed heads with, so the fact that she was going to intentionally avoid him and opt out of staying at his place made her feel somewhat in the wrong. He was a good father, and extremely supportive of her too. Instead of harping on her about living in Tacoma and not visiting often, like Cath, he maintained more of a calm composure and let her do whatever. He was always concerned with her happiness even if it was a detriment to his own.

“Damnit,” Cora groaned. She was feeling undeniably guilty. Maybe she could at least call him and let him know she was stopping by. There was always the possibility that they could schedule a time to get lunch together or something, separate from Cath.

Acting on impulse, Cora pulled out her phone, dialing his number before she could talk herself out of it. The phone rang and rang; for a moment, she didn’t think that her father would answer, but before time had run out, she heard a click on the other end of the line.

“Dad?” she spoke hesitantly.

She heard her father clear his throat on the other end. “Coralie?”

He always insisted on calling both Cath and Cora by their full names, never using their nicknames. He never gave a reason as to why, though Cora knew deep down that it was just his way of paying homage to his wife, who had adored the names that she had given her daughters, both plucked from two of her favorite novels.

“Yeah, it’s me, dad,” Cora replied, smiling lightly at the sound of his voice; she hadn’t heard it in months. “I just wanted to call you and let you know that I’m coming to visit for the week.”

“You are?” His response was abrupt, a hint of shock laced within. “Why?”

Cora furrowed her brow; there was something off about his tone. “Jax invited me down,” she clarified. “Wendy’s using again; he wants me to talk to her, get her into rehab so she doesn’t do any more damage to their baby.”

Unser gave an “oh” from the other end, as though Cora’s explanation had provided him with a sense of assurance.

“Are you okay?” Cora inquired, her father’s responses creating unease in her mind.

Unser hummed approvingly. “Yeah, I’m just pleasantly surprised,” he assured. Much to his relief, Cora bought the affirmation.

“I’m going to be staying at the clubhouse with the guys, since I’m here to help Jax,” she explained, continuing through their phone call. “But it’d be nice if we could meet up and talk sometime before I head back to Tacoma.”

Unser nodded from the other end, trying to remain calm. “That would be nice. Do you know when you’d want to meet up?”

Cora chewed her lip, thinking. “Not really. I’ll have to wait until I get there, figure out what I need to go over with Wendy, and how much of a hassle she’ll be.”

“Right, right.” 

A moment of silence passed over them. Cora shifted on the bench, unsure of what to say next. She looked around, thinking of what the proper response was or how the conversation was supposed to progress between father and daughter, when she noticed Happy walking back towards her. She took that as her cue to hang up.

“Alright, I got to go, dad. I’m about to hit the road again.”

“Be safe, Coralie,” Unser told her.

“I will.”

Cora brought the phone down from her ear and ended the call, flipping the device shut and placing it back in the pocket of her blazer. Just as she put the phone away, Happy reappeared before her.

“You ready?” he asked.

Cora nodded, though deep down she was dreading getting back on the bike, maybe even more so than going back to Charming itself. Motorcycles just weren’t her thing; they were too fast and seemed unsafe.

As if sensing her inner sense of reluctance, Happy smirked at her and said, “You get used to ‘em after a while,” before mounting his bike and starting the engine. Cora stood up from the bench and joined him, trying to plaster on a brave face.

Thankfully, they only had a few more hours to go.

*****

Unser shut his phone, placing it down on the kitchen table in front of him, his call with Cora having just ended. His hands were shaking at the thought of his daughter returning.

If she was visiting Charming and they were going to meet, then he was going to have to tell her the truth about his cancer diagnosis. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to lie to her, not if she was right before him, looking at him with her bright smile and warm eyes. He loved his daughter more than anything. He had to tell her the truth; Cath was right when he had told her the other day that Cora deserved to know. 

Still, the thought of telling her scared him. As much as he loved the idea of Cora staying in Charming, he knew how much she loved her life in Tacoma. If she chose to stay for his sake, he would be consumed with guilt; he didn’t want her to give all of her success up just for his sake.

Suddenly, the door to the kitchen opened, Cath entering in a tank top and sweatpants, her short, curly black hair pulled up in a messy bun. She opened a cabinet and got out a cup before opening the fridge and rummaging around for something to drink. She pulled out a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass, filling it to the brim.

Unser didn’t say anything as she finished putting the bottle away and then took a sip of her wine. The silence loomed over them, creating a tense mood in the room; it didn’t take long for Cath to realize that something was wrong with her father. 

She walked over to where Unser sat at the dinner table and pulled a chair out, taking a seat and setting her glass on the table in front of her. “Everything alright?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. 

Unser looked up from his phone and shaking hands, his eyes locking with Cath’s. “Coralie is coming home to Charming for the week,” he mumbled.

Cath’s expression didn’t change; this news was already implanted in her mind and earned no shock from her. “Yeah, I know,” she responded nonchalantly. “Jax told me the other day when he towed my car.” 

Unser’s eyes went wide. “You knew and didn’t tell me?”

Cath shrugged and took another swig of her wine. “Sorry. I totally forgot to mention it. Jax told me to steer clear of the clubhouse to avoid bumping into her, so I figured that she was avoiding us and wasn’t even going to let us know about her arrival anyway.”

Unser shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t know what to do.”

“What do you mean?” Cath asked, furrowing her brow.

“I mean, I don’t know how to tell her the truth,” he grieved.

“It’s easy,” Cath snorted. “Just use your words, dad.”

Unser rolled his eyes at his daughter. “I know that. It’s just getting the words out that’s the problem.” He paused, hanging his head defeatedly. “I’m scared to find out how she’ll react.”

“Why? Because you’re worried that she might choose to stay here and actually support you for once?” Cath retorted, sipping at her wine. “That doesn’t exactly sound like a bad thing.”

Unser shook his head. “I don’t want to keep her from her dreams, from doing what she wants,” he lamented, “and I know this town is not what she wants.”

A frown crossed over Cath’s face. “But you don’t know what Cora wants, dad. You can’t keep assuming things; you have to tell her the truth,” she countered.

Unser sighed; as much as he hated to admit it, Cath was right. “Yeah, I get that.” He rubbed at his face, exhausted, and stressed. “I guess I’ll just have to tell her, though I have no idea when.”

Cath shrugged. “You’ll find the right time,” she assured him, patting him on the back. Then, without hesitation, she downed the rest of her wine and pushed her chair back, standing up to take her glass to the sink.

As she headed to the sink, she said a silent prayer to herself that all would go well. Her father’s conversation with Cora could be the push that was needed to finally bring Cora home, permanently. 

All Cath could do now was hope that her father wouldn’t screw things up somehow, and that in a few days’ time, she’d have her sister back.

*****

After six more hours of riding, wherein they stopped to get dinner at a diner, Cora and Happy had finally made it to Charming under the cover of the night. When they pulled up to TM, Cora couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. She could finally get off the bike for good.

The second Happy parked his motorcycle, Cora practically leapt off, removing the helmet from her head, and planting her feet on the solid, steady ground. She heard him snort at her, though she didn’t care; she was too overjoyed at the fact that she was off the motorcycle and the drive was done for the day.

Happy took of his own helmet before opening up a small storage compartment on the back of the motorcycle and handing Cora her bag. She thanked him, taking it, before making her way to the clubhouse. She had been there many times already and knew her way around. Memories, dating back to her early childhood and up to her departure, flooded her as she made her way to the clubhouse entrance. She reached the doors, pushing them open, her bag slung over her shoulder. 

Cora stepped inside, eyes roaming around as she examined the room. Within an instant, her gaze had found its way to someone she knew quite well: Jax. A smile overtook her face when she spotted him; she quickly headed in his direction. 

He caught sight of her as she made her way across the room, grinning widely. As soon as she reached him, he engulfed her in a hug. “Thanks for coming,” he beamed. He pulled back from their embrace, taking a moment to look his friend over. “You’re shorter than I remember,” he noted with a smirk.

Cora rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, Cath stole all my height. I’ve been 5’2” since sophomore year.” 

Jax chuckled. “Oh, believe me, I know.” He was cut off by the sound of the doors to the clubhouse reopening. He cocked his head to the side, looking around Cora, spotting Happy as he walked in. “I hope Hap didn’t scare you too much,” he remarked, his gaze locking on the biker. 

Cora snorted. “Of course not. I’m not a scaredy cat, Jax.”

He snickered. “Yeah, right.”

Cora couldn’t help but smile at his teasing. As annoying as it could be, she truthfully missed their banter. In a way, Jax was almost like the brother that she never had, so it was nice to be back home, carrying on with him like they were kids again.

Happy approached the pair, still wearing his usual grim, monotone expression on his face. Jax took a step towards Happy and the two hugged, clapping each other on the back. “Glad you’re here, brother,” he greeted. “Thanks for giving Cora a lift.”

“No problem,” Happy replied, his voice gruff. He paused for a moment before gesturing to the hallway which led to the clubhouse dorms. “Mind if I crash here tonight? The drive down to my mom’s is long and it’s gettin’ late.”

Jax nodded approvingly. “Sure. You’re always welcome here.”

Happy bowed his head in thanks before heading off down the hallway, looking for a dorm to stay in. His migration to the dorms prompted Jax to motion Cora in the same direction, undoubtedly taking her to the room that she had requested.

She repositioned her bag on her shoulder and followed after her old friend as he guided her down the hallway, past door after door. Finally, he stopped her in front of one, opening it and stepping inside. She entered in behind him, surveying the room.

The dorm was small but seemed relatively clean. It came with its own attached bathroom too, which was nice. Cora set her bag down on the bed.

“I hope this is alright; it’s the best we have to offer.”

Cora smiled, nodding to her friend. “This is just fine. No worries.”

“Good,” Jax grinned. He took a step towards the door as Cora opened up her bag, looking inside, eager to get ready for bed. The day had been surprisingly long and tiring, though she blamed that on her anxiety from the motorcycle ride. “I have an errand I need to run. I’ll be back later in the night, though. I’ve been staying here, so if you have any issues, just find me and let me know.” He paused before adding, “I’ll give you more info about the Wendy situation tomorrow; I’ll let you get some rest first.”

Cora nodded. “Thanks, Jax.”

He smiled at her, before turning and leaving the dorm, shutting the door behind him. She took a moment to savor the silence of the room and to really reflect on what she was doing and where she was.

She was in Charming, back in the place that she had been avoiding above all else. But now, her return was for a good reason. Cora was a good friend and a good counselor, and she wasn’t going to abandon Jax’s ex in her and her baby’s time of need. She was going to help them, and not let her stupid past get in the way of that. She was here, and she was going to put an end to all of her irrational fears regarding her hometown, permanently.


	4. Chapter 4

Cora awoke the next morning, having slept surprisingly well in the clubhouse dorm. She got up and changed into her usual formal attire, praying that she wouldn’t have to go on yet another motorcycle ride. Then she grabbed her work folders from her bag, and headed out of the dorm, making her way into the main room of the clubhouse.

When she entered the room, she noticed that the place was rather empty. She had expected to see some of the guys mulling around, some of whom she knew and was hoping to catch up with. Yet, the only two people in the room were Happy and a younger, scrawnier looking man that she had never seen before. The unknown man sat at the bar, drinking a beer; he turned to look at Cora as she entered.

“You’re Cora, right?” he asked.

She gave a nod in response. “Yeah, that’s me.” He got up and made his way across the room, offering a handshake. 

“I’m Kip, but you can just call me Half-Sack.”

Cora raised her eyebrows at his introduction, shocked to know that he was called “Half-Sack,” but also too scared to ask why. So, she merely shook his hand and smiled assuringly.

“Are you a prospect?” she asked, pointing to the patch on his kutte.

“Yeah, I’m the new prospect around here,” he explained, nodding. “That’s why Jax asked me to stay behind; he wanted me to stay with you until Gemma got here.”

“Gemma?” Cora’s heart leapt in her chest at the mention of Gemma, equally out of fear and excitement to see the woman. She loved Gemma, and thought of her as the aunt she never had, but much like Cath, Gemma was someone who was all about family and staying true to Charming. Cora knew that she was likely to get some pressure from Gemma on the matter.

“Jax and the guys had to go handle something with their warehouse blowing up, so Jax asked Gemma to take you to see Wendy.”

Cora nodded, understanding. “Makes sense.” She paused a moment, looking over to Happy who was standing in the corner of the room, still talking on the phone. “What’s with him?” she asked Half-Sack.

The prospect turned his head to match where Cora’s gaze was. “Oh, Happy?” he inquired. “He’s on the phone with the SAMTAC president. The club lost a shipment in the explosion; Happy’s talking to SAMTAC about getting their help with replacing it.”

Cora nodded again, making sense of the situation. Then Half-Sack motioned for her to follow him. He led her to the bar and poured her a cup of coffee.

She gladly accepted it, sitting down. She blew away steam as he took a seat next to her, striking up a friendly conversation. The two talked about nothing in particular as she sipped at her coffee, awaiting Gemma’s arrival.

After a little while of sitting around, Cora heard a car pull up outside, followed by the opening of the clubhouse doors. Cora turned to look and spotted the figure of Gemma Teller Morrow.

Gemma smiled when she caught sight of Cora, calling out to her. “Sweetheart,” she greeted, going to her. The matriarch enveloped Cora in a hug. “It’s been far too long.”

Cora grinned wildly, glad to see Gemma; it had been quite a while since she had last visited her, almost a year. “Yeah, it has,” she agreed. “It’s good to see you again.”

Gemma released Cora from her hug and took a moment to look her over. “You look more and more like your mom every day,” she noted. “Cath looks even more like her, what with all her curls.”

At the mention of Cath, Cora bit her lip, not sure of how to respond. She was only a minute into her conversation with Gemma, and her twin was already being dragged into the mix.

A “yeah” was all Cora could muster in response to Gemma’s comment, laughing nervously. The matriarch didn’t say anything about Cora’s behavior, though she didn’t have to; she already knew what Cora was thinking.

“Glad you could take a break from your busy schedule to come help out my family,” she remarked. To Cora, the comment felt somewhat back-handed; she knew that Gemma was genuinely grateful to her, but also annoyed that Cora chose to spend all of her time up north.

“Yeah, work has kept me on my toes,” Cora responded, trying to avoid conflict and swerve around the subject of Tacoma. “But I’m glad to be here, and I’m happy to help.”

Gemma cast Cora a smile, as if accepting her excuse, before pointing to the door. “Alright, get your shit and let’s go.” Cora picked up her work folder and stood, following after Gemma as she announced, “We have a junkie to fix.”

*****

At the Charming police station, Unser sat at his desk, flipping through some paperwork, his mind bouncing back and forth between the thought of Cora being in Charming and the news about the warehouse that had blown up just outside town. The week had just begun, and it was already off to a rough start. 

As Unser skimmed through the pages in front of him, the door to his office opened. He looked up to see his Deputy Chief, David Hale, walk in.

David gave him a small smile as he shut the office door and took a step closer to Unser’s desk. Unser shut the file in front of him and slid it to the side, awaiting whatever it was that David wanted to talk about. He assumed that it was probably about the warehouse; the moment he found out about the explosion, he knew that David would be all over the case, yet he didn’t want him investigating it. Unser knew that the warehouse had something to do with SAMCRO, and if he let David get to it, then the Sons would get mad.

“I just heard the news,” David began, a serious look on his face. 

Unser took a deep breath, preparing himself for an argument with his Deputy Chief. The two often fought over matters regarding SAMCRO. David had a hatred for the group, wanting them out of Charming for good, while Unser took more of a lenient approach towards them. Many of the guys in the club were friends to him and to his daughters; they weren’t all bad people, and he recognized that they were a key component of Charming and maintaining its balance. 

David continued with his thought, uttering, “I’m sorry about your diagnosis.”

Unser raised his eyebrows, realizing that his Deputy Chief was discussing quite the opposite of what he had anticipated. David was there to talk about cancer, not the blown-up warehouse. Unser smiled, relieved. “Thanks. I appreciate that, David.”

David paused, another thought lingering in his mind. He finally spoke up and asked it. “I heard that you’re going to be stepping down,” David explained. “Is this true?”

Unser nodded in confirmation. “Yeah, it’s true. I have a few weeks left, then I’m out of here for good.”

David cast a sympathetic look, though Unser knew that beneath it all, he was probably ecstatic to know that Unser was stepping down. With Unser’s impending retirement, David was next in line to be the Chief of Police, which would give him free reign and the ability to start taking down SAMCRO.

“That’s unfortunate,” David replied. “But I’m sure the doctors will do everything they can to help.”

Unser managed a smile. “Yeah; I’m sure they will.”

A moment of silence fell over them as David struggled to ask his next question, a question which took the conversation in a direction that he often avoided with Unser. “How are your daughters handling the news?”

“Cathleen is handling it well,” Unser admitted. “She’s being quite supportive; she’s back and living with me again and is promising to take me to all my appointments.” Unser stopped, swallowing nervously, unsure of how to tell David about his other daughter. “Coralie…doesn’t know yet. But I’m going to have to tell her eventually.” He paused again, looking at David, whose face read of confusion and dread. “She’s back in town.” 

David froze; his heart felt like it had plummeted into his stomach. “She’s what?” he asked, eyes going wide.

“Yeah, she’s back in town for the week.”

David groaned. Much like Unser, he wanted Cora to stay out of Charming. He knew that she could do better. It was true, he loved Charming, but he recognized that some just weren’t meant for it, Cora included. She was smart and destined to do good things; being out of Charming kept her from getting distracted from her goals, and it also kept her from SAMCRO’s clutches. He wanted her as far away from them as possible; and he had done his best to ensure that. After all, he was the one to break up with her after high school; he had been the final push to get her to leave. 

“Why is she here?” David asked, confused. “Did you invite her down here to tell her the news?” He felt a bit of annoyance swell inside of him. If Unser told her about the cancer diagnosis in Charming, face-to-face, then she might feel pressured to stay in Charming for good, and he didn’t want that. She had a life in Tacoma, one that was better and kept her safe and away from the evil that was SAMCRO; he’s couldn’t have anything compromising that.

“No, Jax Teller invited her down here. It has something to do with his ex and their baby,” Unser clarified.

David shook his head. “You can’t let her stay here,” he told Unser, gazing intensely at the old police chief. “You should tell her the truth, but make sure that she goes back to Tacoma. It’s for her own good.” 

Unser nodded. “That’s the plan,” he admitted. “But I can’t promise anything.”

“I know that,” David grumbled. “I’m worried. We both know her; she’ll start getting in her head about helping you, and then the pressure of Cath will get to her, and that damn club will start reeling her back in, and she’ll get tied down here for forever.” He frowned, raking a hand through his hair, stressed. “She’s not meant for this town,” he told Unser, his tone harsh.

Unser looked to his Deputy Chief, not knowing what else to say. So, all he did was cast him a pained smile, watching as he turned and left the office in a huff.

This week was going to be rough indeed.

*****

Gemma pulled her car into Jax’s driveway with ease before parking and getting out. Cora followed after her, unbuckling her seatbelt and exiting the passenger side of the car, stepping foot on the asphalt below.

The pair made their way up the walkway to Jax’s front door. Unopened, plastic-wrapped newspapers were all over the sideway and the porch steps. Gemma kicked a few aside as she strode up to the front door.

When they made it to the door, Gemma knocked, calling Wendy’s name. After a few tries, she her knocking into pounding, yet there was still no answer. Gemma turned and looked back to Cora, pointing to the side of the house.

“Let’s go look through the kitchen window.”

The two walked back down the sidewalk and around the house. They made it to the kitchen window; Cora had to stand on her tiptoes to get a good look inside.

As they peered into the kitchen, they couldn’t help but notice the disarrayed state of the house. There was trash everywhere, and on the floor lay an unconscious, bleeding Wendy with an opened carton of ice cream melting beside her.

“Jesus Christ,” Cora rasped. She stepped back from the window, panicked and unsure of what to do.

“Stupid junkie bitch,” Gemma grumbled, glancing back at Cora. “We’re too late.”

Cora ran a hand through her hair, stressed. “We’re going to have to call her an ambulance. She’s bleeding a lot; it’s likely from the baby.”

Gemma nodded, pulling out her phone. “I’m on it.”

*****

Cora stood anxiously outside of Wendy’s hospital room in St. Thomas Hospital. After calling 911 for Wendy, the medics had arrived and busted the door down, getting her out of the house and into the ambulance. Cora had ridden along in the ambulance with Wendy while Gemma headed to find Jax and tell him the news.

The instant Wendy showed up at the hospital, the doctors rushed her into surgery, having to perform an emergency C-section, which Jax’s son barely survived.  
Now, Wendy was resting, hooked up with all kinds of wires and tubes, her body detoxing from the drug overdose. The baby was somewhere else, being observed closely by doctors. All Cora could do now was wait.

As she stood around, a familiar face walked by, greeting her. It was Dr. Tara Knowles, Cora’s friend from high school and Jax’s ex-girlfriend. Like Cora, Tara had left Charming eleven years prior, running off to Chicago to become a doctor, wanting to leave her ties to SAMCRO far behind.

Cora was surprised to see Tara back and working at St. Thomas, though in Tara’s defense, Cora was back in Charming too. It seemed that she wasn’t the only one who had managed to get dragged back into the mix.

“Hey, are you alright?” Tara asked her, concerned. “I know that was probably a little scary for you.”

Cora gave a nod. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she managed. “Just a little shaken up. I’m glad that Wendy’s okay, and I certainly hope that the baby’s alright.”

Tara gave Cora a solemn look. “He’s ten weeks premature with a congenital heart defect and gastroschisis. We’re doing all we can, but nothing is guaranteed.” Cora shook her head, disheartened, as Tara continued. “But Wendy should be just fine. We did find tracks all over her hands and feet though. Haven’t gotten the toxicology reports back yet, but it’s most likely crank.”

“Makes sense. Jax told me that she was a meth addict. That’s why I came down; I was supposed to talk to her.” Cora paused, sighing. “I guess I was a little too late.” Guilt flooded through her. If only she had accepted Jax’s offer right away rather than give it a day of thought. Maybe then Wendy wouldn’t have overdosed and Jax’s baby wouldn’t be clinging to life.

As if sensing Cora’s inner turmoil, Tara put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not your fault,” she assured her. “You’ve done all you can do.”

Before Cora could respond, Jax finally showed up, practically bursting through the hospital doors, a look of panic and anger upon his face. He was followed by a concerned Gemma, the SAMCRO president, Clay Morrow, the Elvis impersonating, Bobby Munson, and a man Cora had only met in passing before, Chibs Telford.

Jax and Gemma walked straight up to where Tara and Cora stood; Clay, Bobby, and Chibs hung back, but stayed close enough that they could listen to the news.

“What the hell happened?” Jax asked, demanding an answer.

Tara looked to him, a sympathetic expression painted across her face. She recounted to Jax everything that she had already told Cora regarding the baby, though she added in that the head doctor only gave the baby a 20% chance of survival. When Cora heard that, her heart broke; more guilt flooded throughout her despite Tara’s earlier assurances.

An “oh my God” escaped from Gemma. Cora looked to both Jax and the SAMCRO matriarch, frowning. “I’m so sorry,” she grieved.

Jax looked down to Cora, shaking his head. “Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know. I didn’t know. None of us did.”

Tara looked back up to Jax. “I can take you to see him now,” she offered, motioning towards a special access hallway.

But Jax made no movement to follow. “You don’t have to do this, Tara,” he muttered.

The doctor cut him off, shaking her head. “I asked to assist. I want to help your son.”

He smiled sadly. “Thank you. I appreciate that.” He paused, looking at her with a sense of longing in his eyes. Cora could tell that he still loved Tara. They had been so close in high school; Jax had been absolutely devastated when Tara decided to leave Charming and SAMCRO behind. After a few moments of studying his lost lover, Jax added in, “His name is Abel.”

Cora smiled at the mention of that. She had to admit, Abel was a nice name.

Then Jax turned and walked off, leaving without so much as a goodbye or an explanation. Tara and Gemma both called after him, shocked that he didn’t want to visit his son. Cora understood why though; he didn’t want to get attached to Abel in case he didn’t make it. 

Clay sent Chibs and Bobby after Jax, as if sensing that he was going to do something bad, which was a safe assumption. Jax was going through a lot of emotions, mostly grief and anger, two feelings that could cause people to do a lot of unreasonable things.

Cora sighed as she watched the blonde VP, one of her closest friends, storm off. Her heart ached for him and his family. She had come down to help him, and yet it all seemed to have been for nothing. The point was for Cora to talk Wendy out of the drugs in order to protect Abel, but now he was already born, and his health was out of Cora’s hands.

Clay came over and put an arm around Gemma. He looked to Cora, thanking her for staying at the hospital while Gemma went to get everyone. 

The young counselor was never too fond of Clay; she had grown up around JT, who was Jax’s real father and Gemma’s first husband. To Cora, Clay never quite fit into the puzzle properly; he never matched up to the man that JT had been. Yet, she smiled at the President anyway, accepting his thanks and exchanging condolences.

With Jax gone, Tara took Clay and Gemma to see Abel instead. She offered to bring Cora along too, but the counselor turned down the offer, wanting to wait outside of Wendy’s room, hoping that the new mother would awaken. Cora had come to help Wendy; despite the change in circumstances, she was going to stick to her promise. 

She took a seat on the bench outside of Wendy’s room and waited. She waited and waited, though she didn’t know for how long. Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, the nurse that had been staying by Wendy’s side came out and told Cora that Wendy was awake, inviting Cora to visit with her. 

Cora accepted the offer, following the nurse into the hospital room while holding her work folder, full of rehabilitation plans for Wendy to peruse.

Cora sat down by Wendy’s bedside, noting the new mother’s tired expression, smeared mascara, and ratty hair. She looked like she had been to Hell and back; she likely felt like it too.

The nurse left the room after Cora sat down, giving the two some privacy to talk. Wendy gave Cora a once-over before speaking. “Did Jax send you?” she asked, her voice weak.

“Yeah, he did,” Cora confirmed. “I’m an old friend of his. He called me down here to talk to you. I’m the one who rode with you in the ambulance actually.”

A look of shame crossed over Wendy’s face. “You probably hate me,” she muttered, tears forming in her eyes. “Everyone does.”

Cora shook her head, reaching out and putting a reassuring hand on Wendy’s arm. “I don’t hate you,” she told her. “I’m a substance abuse counselor; I have no right to judge you. I’m just here to help. You want to get better, don’t you?”

Wendy nodded, wiping at her eyes. “Yes, I do. I want to get better. I can’t keep doing this to myself.” 

Cora offered a smile to Wendy. “You can get better; I believe in you.” She handed the folder of pamphlets to Wendy, encouraging her to look through them. “I want you to take tonight to read about some of these programs,” she instructed. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning to answer any questions you might have. And if you find a program that you like, I’ll be sure to handle all of the paperwork and get you enrolled.”

Wendy nodded, thanking the young counselor profusely.

Cora smiled assuringly to Wendy. Looking at the poor, new mother in front of her, Cora knew that she had done the right thing. She had become a substance abuse counselor because she wanted to help people, no matter what; and that’s exactly what she had done and what she would continue to do.


	5. Chapter 5

It was almost noon and Cath was nearing her last hour of work at the diner. Surprisingly, her day had been going rather smoothly. No major mishaps had occurred, and Cath had been blessed with rather mellow and amicable customers, which she greatly appreciated.

As she stood behind the bar counter smiling to herself, she caught sight of a man entering through the diner doors with another tattooed man trailing closely behind him. Just the sight of them was enough to wipe the grin right off of her face.

“Fucking Darby,” Cath grumbled, eyeing the man and his friend up. Darby was a middle-aged baldie with a hatred for anyone who wasn’t Caucasian. He led the Nordics, or the Nords, for short, a white supremacy group that SAMCRO had beef with. 

The only reason that Darby didn’t outwardly insult or mess with Cath was because of her father being the police chief. If not for Unser having her back, Cath knew that she’d get continuously name-called and harassed by Darby and his Nazi-loving assholes.

Cath fought the urge to glare at him and his friend as they entered, walking in with their swastika tattoos on full display. They went and found a booth to sit in, and just to Cath’s luck, their selected booth was in her section.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Cath groaned to herself. “I was so close to having the perfect shift.” She shook her head, trying to shoo away her ghastly attitude before approaching the pair.

She took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the counter, walking towards their booth, removing her notepad from her pocket as she went. They eyed her with painful scrutiny as she made her way to their seats, stopping before them. The tension amongst the trio was indescribable.

“My name is Cathleen, and I’ll be your server today,” she bit out, forcing a smile onto her face. “Can I start you with something to drink?”

Darby and his friend looked to each other before looking back to Cath and giving her their order. She practically fled the scene as soon as she had what they wanted, eager to get away from them before she burst into flames.

Cath headed back into the kitchen, grabbing the drinks they ordered. As she came out with their cups, she noticed more familiar faces enter through the diner doors, though these faces brought her relief rather than more dread. 

Jax, Clay, Bobby, and Tig made their way into the diner, walking right up to Darby’s booth and sitting down, setting a wooden box on the table. The look of disdain that crossed over the old Nord’s face was priceless.

Cath proceeded towards the booth, a little less bothered to be serving Darby now that the Sons were there. The guys all waved to her as she approached the table, setting the drinks down in front of Darby and his friend.

Clay looked up to Cath after she set the cups down. “Cath, why don’t you hold off on taking Darby and his friend’s order?” he asked, a formidable look on his face. “We’ve got some business to attend to.”

Cath nodded at the SAMCRO president. “Take all the time you need,” she smirked, walking off. She went back to her spot behind the bar counter, watching the group from a distance, curious to find out what the problem between the two clubs was this time.

She watched as Clay pushed the wooden box across the table, bringing it closer to Darby, inviting him to look inside. Whatever the box contained seemed to please Darby, and from there, the conversation continued on as normal. 

For a while, the discussion seemed to be peaceful, as though it really were a business meeting, but then the mood shifted when Jax practically flung himself across the table, grabbing onto Darby’s shirt, spilling their drinks everywhere. Darby’s friend tried to push Jax back, and Tig, who was sitting in the booth behind him, reacted by leaning over and grabbing the Nord by the neck.

Cath had to fight the urge to laugh, not wanting to come across as unprofessional to the other patrons and workers who all looked toward the booth with fear and confusion. Clay dismissed their worries, apologizing as Jax sat back in his seat and Tig let go of Darby’s friend.

The conversation continued between the Sons and the two Nords after that. Cath watched intently, wondering if anything else would go down between the two. But almost as soon as the small fight was over, the Sons were standing up and getting ready to leave.

The guys walked over to the counter where Cath stood. Clay handed her a five-dollar bill. “Sorry about the spill,” he said. She gladly accepted the money.

“It’s no problem at all,” she remarked, smiling at him.

Cath had mixed feelings about the club president. He was good at his job and got along with her just fine, but she always got a weird vibe from him, like he had some sort of secret, underlying motive. Still, money was money.

She watched as Clay walked out of the diner, Bobby following behind him, while Tig stopped to give Cath a hug before leaving. The two had been friends for quite a while; Tig was often her drinking buddy when she went to the club’s parties. 

“Hey, doll,” he grinned, wrapping an arm around her.

“Good to see you, Tiggy,” she smirked back. 

He ruffled her hair playfully before saying his goodbyes, heading after Clay and Bobby.

Jax, however, hung back for a moment, choosing not to follow after the others. He looked to Cath, and she could instantly tell that something was wrong. “Everything okay with you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Believe me, I hate white supremacists, but never enough to try and attack them like that.”

Jax shook his head, anger showing in his eyes. “One of Darby’s guys sold Wendy crank. She overdosed and had to have an emergency C-section. Abel is ten weeks premature and hanging on by a thread.”

“Shit,” Cath grieved. “I’m so sorry, Jax. Is he going to be okay?”

“We don’t know yet, but he’s going into surgery today.” Jax’s face shifted from being filled with rage to containing a sense of sadness.

“I’m sure everything will be fine. Tellers are tough.” Cath put an arm on Jax’s shoulder, reassuring him. “Why do you think I hung out with you in high school?”

He snorted, rolling his eyes. “Because you have bad taste in men and constantly needed me to beat up your asshole ex-boyfriends?”

Cath smirked. “Bingo.”

Jax smiled back at Cath before shifting the subject away from Abel. “Your car is almost finished,” he told her. 

“Awesome. When can I pick it up?”

He gave her a hesitant look. “Not until Cora is back in Tacoma. Remember, no going to the clubhouse unless you want to pay for the repairs.”

Cath scowled. “Fine. I’ll wait,” she replied, giving in. 

“Good.” Jax cast her one last grin before waving goodbye. She watched as he turned and walked out of the diner, going to meet up with the rest of his SAMCRO buddies outside. 

Now, it was time for Cath to return to Darby and his friend; she still needed to take their food orders. She took a step towards their booth before remembering the spill that had been made during their scuffle with Jax. She didn’t want to, but she was going to have to mop up the mess for them. 

Cath sighed to herself. She really had to start looking for a new job. Waitressing was just not her thing.

*****

It was later in the day, and Cora was back at St. Thomas Hospital. She wanted to touch base with Wendy and see if she had made a decision about rehab yet. The prospect, Half-Sack, had kindly driven Cora there, though he took her by motorcycle, forcing her to change back into pants, much to her displeasure.

Reaching Wendy’s hospital room, Cora pushed open the door, stepping inside. As she entered the room, she spotted Wendy sitting in her bed, holding something in her hand while studying it contemplatively. It took Cora a moment to process what was going on, but when it finally clicked, she bolted over to Wendy’s bed. 

“What are you doing with that?” she exclaimed, eyes going wide at the sight of the needle in Wendy’s hands.

Wendy looked up, shame crossing over her face. She set the needle down, taking her hands away from it, as if to assure Cora that she wasn’t going to use it.

“Who gave that to you?” Cora asked concernedly, demanding an answer. 

Wendy didn’t say anything, clearly scared to admit the truth. But to Cora, Wendy’s lack of a reaction was indication enough.

“It was Gemma, wasn’t it?” Cora asked with a sigh. She shook her head in disappointment; she hadn’t expected Gemma to stoop so low. “God, I love that woman, but she can be ridiculous sometimes.” Cora leaned over and picked the needle up off of Wendy’s lap, stuffing it into her purse. She’d be sure to dispose of it later.

Wendy looked at Cora, finally giving in, admitting the truth. “Yeah, it was Gemma,” she confirmed quietly. “She gave it to me so I could overdose.”

“You weren’t seriously considering going through with it, were you?” Cora gazed at Wendy, trying to understand what was going through the woman’s mind.

Wendy bent her head down, not wanting to look Cora in the eyes. “I want to turn my life around, but it seems impossible,” she confessed. “After everything that I’ve put Abel through, I can’t help but wonder if I’m better off dead.”

Cora sat down in the chair at Wendy’s bedside, reaching out and placing her hand over Wendy’s. “Death is not as great as it sounds,” she said solemnly. Her mind wandered to the thought of her mother; Della’s life had been taken from her in a car accident when Cora was only seventeen. “Treasure the life that you have; make something of the time that you’ve got left. You’re lucky to still be alive.”

Wendy nodded, craning her neck to finally face Cora once again, their eyes locking. She didn’t understand why Cora seemed so emotional, but she did understand what she was getting at. Life was a valuable thing, and she knew that now, especially considering that her son was in another room, hooked up to machines and all kinds of wires and tubes, fighting to survive.

Wendy took a deep breath. “I think I found a program that I like,” she admitted softly.

At the sound of that, Cora smiled lightly. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said, patting Wendy’s hand. “Which one are you looking at?”

Wendy turned and reached over the side of the hospital bed, picking the folder of pamphlets up off of the side table. She opened the folder and pulled out the pamphlet for a place called Promises Rehab.

“This program looks nice,” she told Cora, still managing a smile. “It seems affordable, and it has good reviews.” She handed the pamphlet to Cora.

“I think this would be a good fit for you,” Cora assured, flipping through page after page, refreshing her memory on the specifics of the program.

“Do you think you could get me the paperwork and help me register?” Wendy inquired.

Cora gave a nod. “Of course, whatever you need.”

Wendy grinned, fighting back tears. “Thank you for helping me,” she murmured, wiping at her eyes. “You’re the only one who’s been understanding so far.”

“I’m just doing my job,” Cora affirmed with a grin, patting Wendy’s hand assuringly. “I’m doing what’s right.”

*****

Cora stepped out of Wendy’s hospital room, entering into the hallway. Their conversation was finally done, the two having discussed Wendy’s enrollment into rehab for the past hour. It was decided that Cora would contact Wendy’s insurance company for her and make sure that the program she wanted was affordable. From there, if Wendy’s insurance gave the okay, Cora would take care of Wendy’s paperwork and enroll her into the program.

As Cora looked before her, she noticed Gemma walking towards Wendy’s room, as if coming to check on the new mother. Yet, the SAMCRO matriarch stopped when she spotted Cora, freezing in place.

“You talked her out of it, didn’t you?” Gemma asked lowly, locking eyes with Cora.

Cora nodded, taking a step closer. “Look, I understand that you hate her and that you’re mad about what happened with Abel, but killing her isn’t the proper response.” 

“Hey, I wasn’t doing the killing,” Gemma countered. “I was just giving her the means to do it herself.”

Cora shook her head disbelievingly; she loved Gemma to death, but sometimes the matriarch could be quite stubborn and unreasonable. “Wendy still has the potential to change,” Cora said, hoping to get Gemma to see her point of view. What Wendy did was awful, but she could get better.

But Gemma merely snorted. “No, she doesn’t. She’s a junkie whore and she’ll forever be a junkie whore.”

“Gemma, I’m a professional counselor,” Cora refuted. “I transform junkies for a living. If I couldn’t then I’d be out of a job.” 

Gemma sighed, as if giving in. “Fair enough,” she muttered. The matriarch took a moment to look around at her surroundings, seeing if anyone was nearby and had overheard the conversation, before turning back to Cora. “You aren’t going to tell Tara, are you?”

Cora shook her head. “No, I’m not,” she assured. “And I already went ahead and took the needle. I’ll dispose of it at the clubhouse.”

Gemma smiled at her. “Thanks.”

Cora returned the grin. “You know I love you, Gemma,” she responded. “Even despite all this, I can’t help but love you.” She paused before adding, “You’re like the cool aunt I never had.”

Gemma smirked at Cora’s comment before motioning for her to walk along with her. “I’m going to see Abel,” she explained. “Jax’ll be over shortly. You should come meet the kid. He’s pretty damn cute.”

Cora shrugged. “Why not?” She was curious to see Abel. There had been so much talk about him, but she had yet to actually see the little guy.

The two women walked side by side, their footsteps echoing down the hallway of St. Thomas Hospital. After a few moments of walking in silence, Cora piped up. “You should cut Tara some slack,” she admitted. “I know you’re wary of her since she used to date Jax, but she’s working really hard to save Abel.”

Cora didn’t need to see Gemma’s face to know that she was rolling her eyes. Gemma had always been quite unsure of Tara, even when her and Jax had dated in high school, though Cora could never understand why. “Yeah, well if I’m supposed to cut Tara some slack, then you need to do the same for Cath.” 

Cora grumbled, knowing that she had been bested. “Touché.”

Gemma smirked to herself, continuing with the topic of Cora’s family. “You ever going to visit your father?” she wondered.

“Yeah, I’m supposed to visit with him,” Cora confessed. “I promised him that I would.” She chewed at her lip nervously. “We haven’t finalized a time or anything yet though.”

“And why’s that?” Gemma stopped, turning to finally face Cora again, raising an eyebrow at her.

“I’ve just been busy,” Cora replied defensively. 

It was true; everything with Wendy and Abel had been keeping Cora occupied. Yet, things were dying down; Abel’s condition was stabilizing, and Wendy was in the process of enrolling in rehab. Soon enough, Cora’s excuse would be useless.

“You should call him and find a time to meet up,” Gemma encouraged. When Cora didn’t say anything in response, Gemma added, “He loves you to death, Cora.”

The young counselor sighed. “I know that.” The familiar feeling of guilt crept up on her, sweeping her away. She needed to talk to her father; that was a non-negotiable fact. “I’ll call him tomorrow and set up a time to meet, okay?”

Gemma put an arm around Cora, smiling. “Sounds perfect.”

*****

Kozik finished his call with Happy and hung up the phone.

The two had been communicating back and forth for the past two days, trying to help SAMCRO replace their destroyed shipment of guns. Kozik was eager to help the MC and took it upon himself to vouch for Happy and the club to the SAMTAC president, Lee.

After much deliberation between Kozik and Lee, it was decided that SAMTAC could spare some of their guns to SAMCRO. With Kozik being the one to help sway Lee, he had been chosen to make the trip down to Charming to drop them off. 

Despite the stickiness of the situation, he couldn’t help but be happy at the opportunity to head to Charming. SAMCRO was where he had prospected, and it was where he wanted to be. He loved SAMTAC, yet it never felt quite like home. SAMCRO was where he truly longed to be, though unfortunately, patching in there was out of the question. Tig Trager would never let him in, not after what happened.

Kozik stuffed his phone back into his pocket, reaching behind the bar counter and grabbing himself a beer. He cracked it open, taking a sip, and celebrating his small “victory.”

He found himself lost in thought as he drank his beer, his mind flitting around aimlessly until it came to rest on the memory of the substance abuse counselor from several days before. He didn’t know why he arrived at those thoughts; he hadn’t paid the girl much mind since the day of the support group meeting, but now that she was back in his head, he couldn’t get her out.

Cora was her name, or so he recalled. He remembered her brown eyes, sparkling and inquisitive, and her smile, wide and genuine. As stupid as it sounded, there was something about her that felt coincidental, like they were meant to meet. And as much as Kozik hated to admit it, he couldn’t shake the feeling that, somehow, they were going to meet again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I just wanted to take some time to thank everybody who has read, bookmarked, commented, and left kudos on my story so far. I am very grateful and appreciative for all the support! As always, feel free to leave comments; I'm always a fan of feedback, whether it be complimentary or critical.
> 
> Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy Chapter 6 of Never Again!
> 
> -KJ

It was early the next morning and Unser was outside the police station, getting ready to patrol through town in his police car. As he opened the door to the driver’s seat, his phone began to ring. He paused, feeling his pockets, trying to remember where his phone was.

Once he retrieved it, he flipped it open, studying the caller ID. It was Cora, undoubtedly calling about meeting up, just as she had promised. Unser froze at the sight of her name, panic setting in, though he managed to shove it aside. Apprehensively, he accepted the call.

“Coralie?” he asked, hesitant. 

She responded almost immediately. “Hey, dad.” Despite his nerves, Unser couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her voice. “I’m just calling to see if you’d want to meet up sometime today. I don’t have much going on right now.”

Unser took a deep breath, knowing that he had to do the right thing and agree to see her, and then tell her the truth. “Today is perfect, sweetheart,” he confirmed. “How about we meet at 3 PM?”

“That works for me,” Cora replied affirmatively. “Where do you want me to meet you?”

“Stop by the house first,” he instructed. “If I’m not there, then you can find me at the station.”

From the other end, he could hear Cora inhale sharply, as if nervous by the mention of the station. He assumed it was out of fear that she might run into David. Yet she said nothing, merely agreeing. “Sounds great.”

She said her goodbyes, and then hung up the phone, leaving Unser to stand before his police car, losing himself in thought. He was terrified to tell his daughter the truth, but he knew that it had to be done.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, he went to get into his car and begin patrolling as planned, when out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his Deputy Chief exit the station. David wore a determined expression on his face, making a beeline to his jeep. Just by looking at him, Unser knew that something was amiss.

Unser called out to David, waving to him. “Where are you going?” he asked.

David stopped and looked to the Chief, his eyes narrowing. “I’m heading out to the burnt warehouse. I know that SAMCRO is involved somehow.”

Unser shook his head, rejecting the idea. “You can’t do that, son. It’s out of our reach; it’s not within Charming’s jurisdiction.”

David reached into his coat pocket and produced a piece of paper, holding it out for Unser to see. “I have a warrant,” he stated. “I’m going to that warehouse whether you want me to or not.”

Unser continued to shake his head, trying to shut down David’s plan. “Just stay out of it, okay? This has nothing to do with Charming.”

“If it has to do with SAMCRO, then it has everything to do with Charming,” David remarked. He pocketed the paper and turned to head back to his jeep. Unser made an attempt to call out to him, but he was stopped short by his phone ringing again.

“Jesus,” he grumbled. Perfect timing. He pulled his phone back out, checking to see who the call was from this time. The instant he glimpsed the name of the caller, Unser felt his heart skip a beat. 

Clay Morrow wanted to talk to him. 

*****

Cora sat at the clubhouse bar, drinking a coffee as her meeting with her father neared with every passing second. She was anxious to visit with her dad, though she couldn’t tell if it was out of fear or excitement. There was a part of her that missed him, but another that felt fine avoiding him; she felt disconnected from him, and when with him, she often struggled to find something to say.

While Cora sipped her coffee, Jax stood on the other side of the room, talking with Tig, Chibs, Half-Sack, Bobby, Juice, and Happy. Cora didn’t know what exactly was going on with them, but she figured that the conversation being held had to do something up with the blown-up warehouse. 

The club’s warehouse and its contents had been the main topic of discussion for the past few days. It was the only thing that anyone at the clubhouse seemed to talk about, though they did so in hushed whispers when in Cora’s presence, not wanting to involve her in the situation.

As Cora sat, drinking her coffee, Piney Winston entered into the clubhouse, walking past Jax and the others as they talked. He headed straight for the bar, going behind it, and pulling out a bottle of tequila from underneath.

Pouring himself a glass, he smiled at Cora; she couldn’t help but grin in return at the old man. He was a bit of a grump at times, but overall, he was a good person. Not to mention, she’d known him for a long time. His son, Opie, had been another one of her friends in high school; he did practically everything with her, Jax, Tara, and Cath.

“I’m surprised to see you back here,” Piney mused, taking a swig of his drink.

Cora nodded in agreement. “I’m just as shocked as you,” she admitted. “I’ve been avoiding returning for a while, but when Jax told me about Wendy and Abel, I knew that I couldn’t delay my visit any longer.”

“It was nice of you to help Jax out,” Piney said admirably. “He’s going through a lot.”

“He certainly is,” Cora agreed, offering a smile. “But I have faith in him. He’s a tough guy.”

Piney and Cora continued on with their conversation, catching up with one another as Jax, Tig, Chibs, Half-Sack, Bobby, Juice, and Happy spoke on the other side of the room. The sound of the men’s chatter faded away, Cora not even processing an ounce of what they were saying, not aware of the certain someone they were discussing.

“Kozik’s on his way down here,” Happy explained, looking to his brothers as they stood together. “He’s got the Glocks you need for Laroy.”

Jax nodded. “Good. Now we can finally get this mess sorted out.”

Tig, who was standing to Jax’s side, groaned at the mention of Kozik. “That asshole is coming down here?” he frowned. “Why couldn’t it have been someone else?”

Happy gave a shrug. “He helped convince Lee to provide the Glocks; seemed fair that he be the one to bring ‘em down.”

Tig shook his head, mumbling to himself. “I hate him.”

Jax rolled his eyes at Tig’s rambling. No one understood Tig’s hate for Kozik; he would never explain any of it, choosing instead to just complain endlessly. “C’mon, let’s get out of here. We have bodies to collect.” He turned, motioning for the guys to follow with him.

Cora broke from her conversation with Piney just in time to notice Jax heading for the exit. She called after him, halting him and his crew. “Wait, I need someone to take me to see my dad.”

Deep down, Cora was hoping that Jax would elect Half-Sack to take her. The prospect had proven himself to be a nice guy so far, and she enjoyed riding with him, or at least in comparison to Happy, she did. The prospect seemed to be better at gaging Cora’s fear and knowing when to slow down, while Happy was quite the opposite.

As if reading Cora’s mind, and wanting to make her intentionally miserable, Jax pointed to Happy, instructing him to drive Cora wherever she needed to go.

Cora frowned at Jax. “Can’t Half-Sack drive me?” she suggested instead. After all, he was the prospect; it made more sense for him to do mundane tasks, like drive her around.

Jax shook his head. “Sorry, we need Half-Sack right now. We’ve got some stuff to handle down at the cemetery, might require some manual labor.”

Cora wrinkled her nose, afraid to even ask why they were heading to the cemetery, and why Half-Sack’s manual labor was needed. Instead, she sighed, nodding to Jax, settling for Happy in place of Half-Sack.

Happy was a bit of a loose cannon when it came to driving, speeding more often than he should’ve. He wasn’t awful company though. He seemed to be a man of few words, yet when he did actually speak, Cora often found herself amused. 

She watched as Jax led his crew out of the clubhouse, Happy hanging back. Cora rose from her chair, smoothing out her pants as she stood. Happy looked her up and down before smirking. “I see you caught on,” he remarked, pointing to her bottom half.

“No more skirts,” Cora assured him, returning the look. “I’ve learned my lesson.”

Happy turned and made his way out of the clubhouse, motioning to Cora. She followed after him, waving goodbye to Piney, and taking a deep breath as she went.  
It was time to go see her dad.

*****

Unser’s instructions to Cora were to stop by his house first, so that’s exactly what Cora did. She asked Happy to drive her to her father’s home before stopping by the police station.

Happy’s driving was surprisingly not as bad as Cora remembered, though she chalked it up to the fact that she was getting used to motorcycles rather than him being more cautious for her sake. 

They arrived at her childhood home in what seemed like no time. Happy stopped his bike out front, giving Cora a moment to inspect the house and determine whether Unser was there or not. One quick glance at the driveway was all it took, and Cora knew that her father wasn’t there. His police car was gone, which meant that he was still at the station.

Just as Cora was about to tell Happy to head to the station instead, the door to Unser’s house opened, and out stepped a woman, one who was all too familiar to Cora. The instant that she spotted the woman, Cora ducked, bending her head down in an attempt to hide. The last thing that she wanted was for Cath to see her.

Happy looked back at Cora and then to the house where Cath stood on the front porch, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, her curly hair thrown up in a sloppy bun. She was getting a package from the porch steps, paying no attention to the two watchers in front of the house.

“Who’s that?” Happy asked, furrowing his brow. The woman looked oddly like Cora, but much taller, with short, curly hair, and a narrower face.

Only, Cora didn’t answer his question. Instead, she urged him to go, telling him to drive away before they could be spotted. She didn’t want to see her sister and didn’t want to risk starting a conversation. She knew that if they spoke, it would just turn into a guilt-tripping session where Cath would degrade Cora for investing so much time in her work and life in Tacoma.

Thankfully, Happy obliged her, taking off on his motorcycle, not looking back as he redirected his route to the police station. Neither made an attempt to talk as they continued their drive. It wasn’t until they made it to the Charming police station and Happy had parked his bike that he attempted to interrogate Cora about Cath.

“Who was that?” he asked, the smallest inkling of confusion in his voice.

Cora stood up, taking the helmet off of her head, and handing it to Happy. “That was my twin sister,” she mumbled.

“Twin?” He was surprised to hear that. The two looked similar, but not enough that he would consider them to be twins; they still had glaring differences. 

Cora nodded, smoothing out her pants, now off the bike. “Yeah, we’re fraternal,” she remarked. “Not all twins have to be identical.”

“Makes sense,” Happy replied. He looked Cora over, noting the change in her posture, and how she tensed up now that her twin was their topic of discussion. “There a reason you’re avoidin’ her?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, curious to see her response.

But she didn’t give him much of an answer. “It’s a long story,” she muttered. Cora didn’t have time to stand around and recount their history. 

Based on her reaction, Happy knew better than to press her on the matter. He dropped the subject, looking instead to the police station behind her. “Need me to go with you?”

Cora shook her head. “I should be fine,” she responded. “My father’s the Police Chief; everyone in there knows me.”

Happy gave a nod, watching as Cora took a deep breath and made her way through the parking lot and up the ramp to the front doors. Pushing them open, she entered the building, memories flooding her as she surveyed her surroundings. A few officers noticed her presence, and gave polite waves, exchanging greetings, surprised to see Cora Unser back in Charming.

Cora didn’t have to ask around to know where her father’s office was; she already knew the layout of the station by heart. The officers that were lingering around let her go right ahead, not even stopping to search her.

When she reached his office, she put her hand on the doorknob, taking a minute to gather herself together before turning the knob and pushing open the door. She walked into the room and came face to face with her father, who was sitting at his desk, a slew of papers in front of him.

The instant that Unser caught sight of his daughter, he froze, looking up at her in astonishment. It took a moment for him to process what was happening, but once he had, he stood up, heading over to Cora and hugging her. Cora smiled as he wrapped his arms around her; she had missed him more than she realized.

When he finally pulled back from their hug, he motioned to the seat next to his desk, sitting back down in his own chair, facing her. Cora sat down, as directed, folding her hands on her lap as she gazed at her father. He looked just as she remembered.

“It’s really good to see you, dad,” Cora admitted. She truly meant what she said. Despite feeling disconnected from Unser, she could not deny the fact that she loved him. After all, he was part of the reason that she was alive.

“It’s good to see you too, sweetheart.” Unser plastered a smile onto his face, trying to mask the anxiety that was gnawing away at him. He needed to tell her the truth, but he was scared to; he was terrified to see how she would react.

Despite his smile, Cora could tell that something was wrong, the stress fully displayed through her father’s eyes. She furrowed her brow, leaning more towards him. “Is everything alright?”

Unser managed a nod. “Yeah, I’m great,” he assured, though it was a lie. He was most certainly not great. He had stage three bladder cancer, and was struggling to find the words to properly explain that.

“I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but Jax’s son was born. He’s named Abel,” Cora remarked, changing the subject. “He was ten weeks premature, but they think that he’s going to be okay. He survived both of his surgeries.”

Unser offered a genuine smile; he hadn’t gotten many updates regarding Jax’s baby, so it was comforting to know that the little guy was doing alright. “That’s great to hear.”

“I’ve been back and forth between the hospital, checking in on him and Wendy. I’m in the process of getting her into rehab.”

Hearing Cora talk about her work always made Unser feel proud. He knew how much it meant to her, and that she worked her ass off all the time for it. “You’re a real good friend to Jax,” he told her, smiling again, managing to shove his anxiety down just long enough. “It makes me happy to know that I have such a kind daughter.”

Cora grinned back at him. “I have you and mom to thank for that.” 

“Yeah, you do, don’t you?” he chuckled nervously. He was proud of Cora’s selflessness, but in that moment, he found himself hoping that when he shared the news about his cancer, she’d choose to put her selflessness aside and run back to Tacoma.

Deep down, he wanted her to stay; he missed having her around and felt like there was a hole in his life. But he knew that she was worthy of a life outside of Charming, and he knew that the town was filled with the ghosts of her past, so he didn’t want to guilt her into staying. He wanted her to be happy, even if that meant that he couldn’t be.

Cora could definitely tell that something was wrong now. Everything about her father seemed off. There was always a bit of disconnect between them, but never did their interactions feel as though secrets were being kept. She narrowed her gaze, suspicion creeping in. “Seriously dad, are you okay? You’re acting funny.”

He held his breath, bending his head down, scared to open his mouth and speak the truth, the blood in his veins growing ice cold. Finally, after what felt like a decade of internal struggling, he found the words that he needed.

“I have cancer.”

Cora’s jaw dropped, the words processing in her mind, shocking her to the core. “You have what?”

Unser lifted his head, finally finding the courage to look his daughter in the eyes. “Coralie, I have stage three bladder cancer.”

Cora didn’t know what to do, let alone what to say. The words that had just escaped her father’s mouth were utterly gut-wrenching.

Since Cora said nothing, Unser continued. “I’m going to be just fine,” he told her. His assurances were meant for her, yet it felt more like he was trying to convince himself. “I’m starting treatments, and I’ll be retiring soon.”

At the mention of his retirement, Unser’s mind wandered to his earlier conversation with Clay Morrow. The SAMCRO president had caught wind of Unser’s retirement, and had wanted to hash things out. As expected, Clay was not happy with the knowledge that David was going to be taking over, yet he had agreed to keep working with Unser anyway, continuing to guard the shipments for Unser’s business. Still, Unser couldn’t shake the feeling that Clay was planning something, determined to keep Unser as Chief for longer.

Unser was wrenched back to reality by the sound of Cora’s voice, taking a shaky breath, ready to address what had been revealed. “Do you need my help?” she asked softly.

In her mind, she was already sorting through the situation, trying to figure out how his cancer fit within her life. If the cancer was stage three, then he clearly didn’t have much time left, and if that was the case, then Cora didn’t want to miss a single moment with him. 

It wasn’t until the thought of him dying was dangling in front of her that she realized just how little she knew of him. She had spent the past eleven years of her life allowing herself to drift away, living twelve hours up north, occupying herself with her job, opting out of family visits. She was being selfish and negligent, and everything else that Cath had accused her of being.

Cora felt the guilt rise in her body as she wondered to herself if Cath had been right all along. Regret coursed through Cora, mixing with confliction, confusion, panic. She didn’t know what to do.

Unser’s voice cut through her raging thoughts as he gave an answer to her initial question. “No, I don’t need you to do a thing for me, Coralie,” he replied, his eyes trained intently on her. “You have a wonderful life in Tacoma; you’ve got a good job there, and you can’t afford to give it up.” 

“But you have cancer,” she grieved. “How much time do you even have left? How much time do I have to try and make up for all the time that I’ve spent away from you?” Her heart felt like it had just been stomped on. “I feel like an awful daughter right now,” she confessed. “I don’t want to keep being that way.”

Unser shook his head, trying to steer her away from where she was heading. “Coralie, you’re not a bad daughter. You’ve just been doing what’s best for you, and that’s perfectly fine,” he assured. “Go back to Tacoma, go be happy. That’s all I need from you.”

Cora didn’t know what to say. There were thousands of thoughts running through her mind; she tried to sift through and examine each one, wanting to determine all of her options, weighing all of their pros and cons. But there were too many to comprehend, too many for her to handle at once. She stood up abruptly.

“I need to go,” she said, heading for the door. “I need to take some time and think about what I want to do.”

Unser shook his head again, still adamant about her returning to Tacoma, but she wasn’t having it.

“I love Tacoma, dad, but I love you too,” she admitted. “I still have time to reestablish myself here, to rebuild my career if need be.” She paused, taking a deep breath, continuing, “But I don’t have that same amount of time to rebuild my relationship with you.” 

With that, she turned and left his office, leaving Unser alone, worrying about what his daughter was going to choose to do.

Cora had a big decision to make, and she had no idea where to even start.


	7. Chapter 7

Cora sat on the edge of her dorm room bed, lost in thought. She had gone there as soon as she returned from the police station, not saying a word to any of the guys about what had happened. She was too in shock; she needed some time to process the situation on her own before discussing it with anyone else.

As she sat on the bed, head in her hands, she found herself replaying every interaction with her father, thinking back to each word that was exchanged during their conversation. She was trying desperately to make sense of his news. She understood that he had stage three bladder cancer, but she didn’t know what to do about it; and his adamancy to send her back to Tacoma made the situation especially tricky.

There was a part of her that wanted to heed his advice and run back to Tacoma. She loved the city and had a great job there, yet the thought of leaving her sick father behind, twelve hours away, felt wrong. He was the only parent that she had left, and she felt like she barely knew him. She didn’t want him to die with her having regrets about their relationship. She didn’t want their time to run out before it was too late for her to make amends; and the only reasonable way to ensure that was to move back to Charming.

Cora groaned, throwing herself back and flopping down on the bed. If she decided to stay in Charming, it would be good for her father, and it would certainly make Cath happy too, but then there was the issue of moving, of finding a new place to stay, and getting a new job. The idea of just uprooting her whole life and moving it back to the place that she had avoided for so long felt wrong, but so did leaving her father behind. 

Cora’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. She wasn’t sure if was ready to speak with anyone yet, but she was curious to find out who was looking for her, so she invited them in anyway.

The door opened and she turned her head to look, watching as Piney walked in. Cora cast the old man a faint smile. “Hey,” she mumbled quietly.

“You okay?” He looked her up and down, a frown overtaking his face. 

She locked eyes with him, sighing before finally asking, “Do you know about my dad?”

Piney took a moment to think back, racking his memory. “I remember Clay mentioning something about him. Doesn’t he have cancer?” he asked.

Cora nodded. “It’s stage three bladder cancer,” she clarified.

The old man grimaced. “Sounds bad.”

“It is.” She turned away for a moment, focusing her gaze on her lap, fidgeting with her hands nervously. “I don’t know what to do.”

Piney raised an eyebrow. “You thinkin’ about staying?”

Cora gave another shrug from where she sat, still not facing him, rubbing her palms together anxiously. “That’s one of my options; the other is for me to go back to Tacoma. The problem is that I can’t decide which one is better.”

“Tough decision,” he noted. “But it’s yours to make, Cora. Do what you think is right.”

“I know,” she uttered to herself. “I know.”

A moment of silence passed over both Piney and Cora, a moment filled with contemplation as Cora sifted through her thoughts yet again, still landing nowhere near a decision.  
Finally, Piney broke through the quiet, offering, “Why don’t you come get something to eat? You can’t go making life decisions on an empty stomach.”

Cora smirked at his comment, before sighing and standing up, giving in to his suggestion. She headed to the dorm’s entrance and followed after him, letting him lead her back into the main room of the clubhouse.

As she entered the room, she noticed Happy sitting at the bar, a beer in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. Cora followed Piney over, taking a seat next to Happy as Piney went around the bar counter, rummaging underneath for food. “We’ve got snacks,” he reported. “Nothing fancy.”

Cora shrugged. “I’m fine with whatever.”

The old man popped back up, a bag of pretzels in his hand; he handed them to her. As she opened the snack, Piney poured two shots of tequila, offering one to Cora. She politely rejected; she didn’t drink alcohol. 

“Suit yourself,” he remarked, downing one, then the other.

Cora merely snorted at the old man before beginning to eat her pretzels; he was quite the character, cynical yet simultaneously caring and wise. 

A conversation between Piney and Happy ensued as Cora sat and ate. She took a moment to look around the room as they spoke, and was surprised to find the rest of the room empty. Usually by this time of night, everyone was back, drinking and acting like fools. “Where is everyone?”

Piney diverted his attention from Happy to Cora. “Jax and some of the guys are still at the cemetery,” he replied, “and Clay took a couple others to guard one of your dad’s shipments.”

Cora managed a nod, though she cringed at the mention of her father; the memory of their conversation flooded her mind yet again. She turned back to her pretzels, not wanting to talk anymore, wishing that she hadn’t spoken up in the first place. She allowed the voices of Piney and Happy to fade away once again, detaching herself from the group so she could float amongst her thoughts.

She wasn’t sure how long she sat, staring off into space; it could’ve been as long as an hour, though she guessed that it was less than that. Either way, she was yanked from her thoughts unexpectedly by the arrival of another member, hearing the door open, and watching as both Piney and Happy went over to greet the guest. 

She turned, feeling curious enough to take some time away from her inner turmoil, only to find herself looking at someone very familiar. Cora recognized him as soon as she saw him, with his spikey blonde hair, tall figure, bright blue eyes, and charming smile. 

It was Kozik.

Cora felt her eyes go wide at the sight of him, freezing in place. Her mind started spinning all over again, adding onto her already present confusion.

Kozik was talking and carrying on with Happy and Piney, beaming from ear to ear, as if ecstatic to be back at the SAMCRO clubhouse. Yet, when he took a moment to look back at the bar, he caught sight of Cora and froze up, halting all movement and conversation, shock coating his face.

The guys noticed Kozik’s change in demeanor, raising their eyebrows at him. 

“You two know each other?” Piney inquired, furrowing his brow, gesturing subtlety to Cora, who was still back at the bar.

“Uh, yeah,” Kozik admitted, looking back and forth between Piney and the young counselor. “We’ve met in passing; just bumped into each other a few times in Tacoma.” He tried to brush the situation off, not wanting to delve into the specifics of their meeting and have to reveal the truth about him going to the clinic.

Piney nodded, shifting away from the subject, not caring to dwell on it any longer despite sensing that there was more that Kozik wasn’t telling him. “Thanks for coming up here.”

Kozik offered a smile, shoving aside his shock and curiosity regarding Cora’s presence. “It’s good to be back.”

“Where’d you put the guns?” Happy asked, not wasting any time. He wanted to get down to business.

Kozik reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “Got ‘em in a truck in the parking lot.”

Happy gave an approving nod. “Give the keys to Piney. He’ll take care of it from here.” 

Kozik obliged, handing the keys over. “I’ll go check them out,” Piney explained. “Then I’m heading home. It’s been a long day.”

Kozik nodded to Piney, who turned and headed back to the bar. With the old man gone, Kozik turned to Happy, asking, “You staying?” 

Happy shook his head. “Nah. It’s still early. Thought I’d go check on my mom.” He looked back in the direction of the dorms and then back to Kozik. “You can still crash here. Just take the room I used.”

“Sounds good,” Kozik replied. He hugged Happy, clapping him on the back, and saying his goodbyes as Piney did the same with Cora back at the bar.

“Are you leaving already?” Cora wondered, watching as the old man packed away his bottle of tequila for the night.

Piney nodded. “Got to check on a shipment; then I’m heading home.” He looked over to Kozik and then back to Cora. “You’ll be fine. I think blondie’s staying the night.”

Cora rose her eyebrows, surprised to hear that piece of news. With both Piney and Happy leaving, it would just be her and Kozik left in the clubhouse, at least until Jax or the prospect came back, as the two had both been spending the night there. The thought of being alone with Kozik at the clubhouse felt a little odd, as she barely knew the guy, but at the same time, she had a lot of questions that she wanted to ask him.

So, rather than fight with Piney to stay, she bid the old man farewell, watching him leave with Happy. She finally had the opportunity to learn more about the mysterious Herman Kozik. 

Once Piney and Happy had left the clubhouse, the door closing firmly behind them, Cora turned, raising an eyebrow to Kozik. “I didn’t realize that you were a Son.”

He offered a slight smile, walking over to the bar. She gestured to the seat next to her, inviting him to sit; he obliged. “Yeah, I’m with SAMTAC,” he explained, pointing to his patches. She took a moment to study them, noting how they were identical to the ones that Happy wore. “I didn’t realize you had a connection to SAMCRO,” he commented, continuing, snapping her attention back from his patches.

“Yeah, most people don’t,” Cora remarked, her gaze locking with his. “I don’t exactly seem like someone who would be tied to a biker gang.”

“Motorcycle club,” Kozik corrected with a smirk. 

Cora rolled her eyes playfully. “Same thing.”

He shook his head lightly, chuckling, before redirecting the conversation. “So, how are you connected?” he prompted. “You’re not an old lady, are you?” he asked, half-joking. Cora didn’t seem like someone who would be an old lady, though he didn’t want to write off the possibility completely, as it was the only logical explanation that he could think of to justify her presence.

Cora burst out laughing, marveling at the absurdity of his comment. “God no,” she snorted. “How would that even work? I live twelve hours away from Charming.”

Kozik gave a shrug. “I don’t know,” he smiled sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. “Just an idea.”

Cora smirked, shaking her head amusedly. “I’m no old lady; I’m just the daughter of the Police Chief.”

Her explanation caught Kozik by surprise. “Police Chief?” He raised an eyebrow, thinking back to when he had prospected at SAMCRO about nine years ago. He had only prospected for about a year and then had patched into SAMTAC. 

In the time that he had been in Charming, not much had gone down. There had been very few grapples with the police, so he couldn’t remember who all was a part of the station.   
“My dad’s name is Wayne Unser,” Cora admitted finally, answering Kozik’s inquiry. She tensed slightly as her father’s name left her lips, threatening to bring up more anxiety regarding her dilemma. Yet she pushed past it, continuing on. “He’s sort of on Clay’s payroll, mostly because he’s friends with Gemma. My sister and I grew up alongside Jax because of that, Opie too; we’ve all known each other since diapers.”

Kozik chuckled at that, struggling to imagine Jax and Opie as babies; they seemed too tough to have ever been that small.

“So, if you’re with SAMTAC, what are you doing down here?” Cora wondered, eager for answers. She was just as intrigued and surprised by their sudden reunion as he was.

“You know about the warehouse?” he asked. He didn’t know how involved in the club she really was; there was a difference between being a friend of the club and being in the middle of it all.

“Yeah, I know about it,” Cora confirmed. “It’s all the guys have talked about since I arrived.” They had been running around all over town trying to fix the problem, making it the center point of almost all of their conversations. The issue was nearly impossible for her to ignore even though it wasn’t her problem to handle and involved her in no way whatsoever.

“They asked SAMTAC to replace what got destroyed,” Kozik explained. “I drove it all down here.”

Cora nodded, his explanation making sense. She still found it a bit unnerving though how he was in Charming at the same time as her. Coincidences weren’t something that she took lightly.

“So, what are you doing back here?” Kozik wondered, repeating her earlier question; it was his turn to find out what she was doing in Charming, to understand the circumstances that had brought them together yet again. “Did you just come to visit?”

Cora shook her head, taking a deep breath as she readied herself to talk more about herself and her situation. “No, I came down to help Jax with his ex. She’s an addict.”

Kozik smiled at that. “Nice of you,” he marveled, “though I’m sure it was an easy decision. You seem real passionate about your work.” 

Cora bit her lip. “Actually, I really struggled to make a decision about coming here. I’m not exactly fond of this town,” she confessed. A slight grin overtook her face, however, as she thought back to her conversation with Kozik on the day of the group session. “You know, you’re actually the reason I finally gave in and decided to help Jax.”

“Me?” He was struck by her comment, intrigued at the fact that of all people, he had been able to sway her decision. “What did I do?” 

“You said all that shit about helping people no matter what,” she recollected, “and it really got me thinking.” She paused for a moment, averting her gaze from him for a moment, turning to stare into an unseen abyss. “Plus, you mentioned something about confronting the past; it made me realize that I couldn’t let my fear and frustrations with this town keep me from helping my friend.”

Kozik couldn’t help but smile knowing that he had helped Cora. His words to her hadn’t been intentional advice, but it was still somewhat assuring to know that they had become as such. He never really saw himself as someone who was wise, but for a moment, he did, and it felt nice. “Glad I could help.”

Cora grinned. “Yeah, me too.” She paused, taking a deep breath, the memory of Unser returning to her, reminding her of the newer, more complex decision that she had to make. “You wouldn’t happen to have any more useful advice, would you?”

Kozik snorted. “What, am I the counselor now?”

“Maybe,” she remarked. “I mean, most counselors only know how to solve other people’s problems anyway, never their own.” 

“In that case,” he began, “ask away.” He leaned over the bar, reaching just far enough to get a beer out from under the counter. “You want one?” he asked.

Cora shook her head. “I don’t drink,” she replied. “My mom was killed by a drunk guy.”

“Car accident?” He cracked open the beer, taking a sip as he awaited an answer.

“Sort of,” she grimaced. There was a pause of silence before she finally acknowledged, “But that’s a story for another time.”

He furrowed his brow, confused at her sudden hesitance to speak; yet he didn’t push her. She clearly didn’t want to talk about the subject, so he wasn’t going to force her. Instead, he maneuvered the conversation back to her dilemma, the one that he was supposed to advise her on. “So, what’s the big decision?”

Cora stared at her hands, rubbing them together nervously. “I just found out today,” she started, “that my dad has stage three bladder cancer.”

“Shit.” Kozik looked to her, searching for her eyes, wanting to express his condolences, but her gaze was elsewhere, her mind overwhelmed.

“I don’t know what to do,” she practically blurted. “I can’t just leave him here, can I?” There was a pause as she contemplated what to say, how to explain her thoughts and feelings further. “He wants me to go back to Tacoma, and I feel like there are a million reasons as to why I should, yet the thought of leaving him here makes me feel like an awful person.”

“You’re not an awful person,” Kozik assured her, offering a sympathetic look. He hardly knew her, yet he could sense that she was a good person. After all, people didn’t get into substance abuse counseling for the money; they did it because they cared.

Cora sighed, finally turning to meet Kozik’s gaze. “Thanks.” She paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing. “It’s just that I have a great job up in Tacoma, I’m making decent money, and I have a nice apartment. Plus, I have no awful memories there, no history or childhood ties; it’s my safe space. And Charming…” she grieved, “is the opposite.” 

Kozik didn’t know how much was too much to ask, but he dared to question her reasoning for hating Charming, curiosity getting the best of him. “Why do you say that?” He looked into her dark eyes; they contained a sadness he had never noticed before. “Is there a reason you left?” He took another sip of his beer, trying to act casual, not wanting to make her feel like she was being interrogated.

She bit her lip, debating whether to tell him. She barely knew Kozik and it was rare that she opened up to people unless they were close friends or family, but even then, those people were few and far between. But she knew that sharing her thoughts would be helpful; it would help her get a weight off her chest, and possibly help him guide her towards a decision. She couldn’t just keep running through her thoughts alone; someone else needed to hear them, to give their opinion on the matter.

“I left for a number of reasons,” she murmured quietly, giving in. “First, there was a college up in Washington that was offering me a lot of scholarship money.” She paused, emphasizing her words. “Like a lot of money.”

Kozik couldn’t help but smile at that. She must’ve been pretty damn smart to get offered so much.

“Second, I left because my mom died.” She inhaled sharply, struggling to find the words to recount the memory. “This whole town reminds me of her, and for a long time, I couldn’t deal with it. I still struggle to.” She stopped again, still trying to piece together what to say; Kozik remained attentive, offering an encouraging look. “I know it’s cowardly to run away from it all, but I didn’t know how else to cope.” 

“I’m sorry that happened,” Kozik lamented. “But be proud; you’re here now. That proves you can overcome it.”

Cora merely shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.” She ran a hand through her hair, sighing as she continued. “And I…” she trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I left because my high school boyfriend broke up with me.” 

Anger and sadness coursed through her as she thought back to the night that it had happened, the night that David Hale had broken her heart. She shook her head, upset, trying to shake away the tears that were pricking at the corners of her eyes.

Her mind wandered back to the night that it had happened. David had come over to her house and asked her to sit out on the porch. There, he broke the news, saying that he was breaking up with her. He had given only a vague explanation as to why, explaining that he just didn’t feel the same way about her anymore. She always assumed that it had something to do with his growing hatred for the club and Cora’s continued friendship with Jax and Opie, though she had never bothered asking.

After telling her, Cora had dismissed David, utterly devastated and wanting nothing more to do with him. It was after he left that she decided to move away and take the college offer in Washington. She could barely handle being in town, surrounded by memories of her mother, so how could she bear to be there with memories of David everywhere too? 

Since moving away from home, Cora had only seen David a total of five times; all five occurrences had been brief, neither saying much to the other. They’d merely exchanged pleasantries, encountering one another within the confines of the police station. Cora felt too awkward and tense around him to actually attempt anything worth more than small talk; she still harbored a lot of hurt and anger.

Cora hadn’t even realized that she had drifted away, getting swept up by her waves of thought. It wasn’t until Kozik spoke that she found herself brought back to the present. “Seems like there are a lot of negatives to staying.”

Cora shrugged. “Yeah, but are they worth as much as the one con of leaving?” She rubbed at her forehead, stressed, a headache beginning to form. “I feel like I barely know my dad. And if I leave and he dies without our relationship getting mended, I’ll have to live with that regret for the rest of my life.” 

Kozik felt a pang of sadness hit him; he knew all about regrets, especially in regard to family. He sighed. “You want my opinion?”

He was met with a nod, Cora eager to get an outside opinion. “Yeah, what would you do?”

Kozik took a deep breath. “Honestly,” he confessed, “I would stay here.” There was a beat of silence as he thought through his next words, elaborating, “I never had a good relationship with my parents. After my little brother died, they checked out. They wanted nothing to do with me.” He paused, looking at her with his brilliant, blue eyes. “But you still have a chance to get close with your dad.”

“My sister too,” Cora added softly, thinking about Cath and how close they used to be. She missed the friendship that they once shared; they had since drifted so far apart, and it seemed that only way to amend that was for Cora to move home and appease Cath. 

Moving back to Charming would certainly come with its difficulties, yet it also promised a lot of wonderful things, things that Cora didn’t want to pass up. Perhaps this decision wasn’t so hard to make after all. 

Looking to Kozik, Cora nodded. “I think I know what I should do,” she said, a small smile overtaking her face. “Thank you,” she admitted. “I really appreciate you listening to me.”

“Of course.” He returned the grin before taking another swig of his beer. 

Cora gave a yawn, glancing up at the clock on the wall. “It’s getting kind of late,” she noted. “I think I’m going to head to bed. It’s been a long day.”

“Go right ahead,” Kozik encouraged. It was clear that she had a lot on her mind; she deserved a rest.

Cora stood up from the bar chair, smoothing out her pants as she stood. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah, guess so,” Kozik responded. 

“How long are you staying in Charming?”

He offered a shrug. “No clue.” Technically, he no longer had a reason to stay, but he was eager to find one. He wanted to be with SAMCRO more than anything. It was amusing considering that Cora wanted away from Charming, and he wanted to be there, and yet somehow, she was the one that had the chance to stay, not him.

Cora gave a wave, saying her goodnights before turning and heading off to her dorm. Kozik watched her walk away, a little disappointed to see her leave. There was something about her that he liked; she seemed so genuine, so kind. They hardly knew one another, yet he felt like they could talk about anything, which was a huge change of pace for him.

He smiled, the thought of her lingering in his mind. She was certainly something special. He just hoped that he’d be able to learn more about her. It wasn’t every day that he met someone only for them to reappear in the same place at the same time, hundreds of miles away.

“Small world,” he muttered to himself, downing the rest of his beer. “Small world indeed.”


	8. Chapter 8

Cora awoke the next morning, having slept surprisingly well. Her conversation with Kozik from the previous night had given her a lot of insight, instilling in her a sense of sureness regarding her decision. The only problem now was discussing her choice with the rest of the people in her family, namely Unser, as he would be difficult to convince.

Cora changed out of her pajamas, putting on a skirt and blouse. There didn’t seem to be a need for pants today; no motorcycle rides were in her immediate future. She still needed to hear back from Wendy’s insurance company about covering the cost of rehab, so there was no reason for her to ride to the hospital.

She left her dorm room, stomach growling. She had barely eaten anything the night before; when she got stressed, her appetite often disappeared. But now that her anxiety had since subsided a bit, her body was able to recognize how hungry she really was.

As Cora entered into the clubhouse, the scent of coffee wafting through the room, she noticed a few of the guys standing around. On the far side of the room, Kozik was talking to a handful of Sons. Cora smiled at the sight of him, though her attention was quickly stolen away as she spotted another familiar man leaning against the bar. He was just as tall as she remembered, and was accompanied by a full beard and black beanie. She smiled, heading over to see Opie.

She couldn’t even remember the last time that she had seen him. He had just been released from prison after serving a five-year sentence. Considering that, the fact that he was still so recognizable astonished Cora.

He spotted her as she made her way over, a smile overtaking his face. “Cora,” he greeted; his voice sounded just as she remembered too.

As she came to stand next to him, she found herself in awe of how tall he was; now that was something she had certainly forgotten. “Long time, no see,” she remarked.

“Yeah,” he marveled, grinning at his friend, giving her a side hug. He was glad to reunite with her again. Yet, his grin quickly turned solemn as he thought back on his time in prison, realizing just how long it had been since they had last seen one another. Five years in prison was a long time; so far, it was proving to have negative effects on both his family life and his relationship with the club.

“You hear about my dad?” Cora wondered; she snapped Opie from his thoughts, curious to hear what he had to say about the matter. 

A guilty look crossed over his face as he thought back to the night before; Clay had hijacked Unser’s shipment and sold it to the Cacuzza Crime Family. Cora didn’t need to know that though. “Yeah,” Opie continued, shoving aside his guilt. “He’s got cancer, right?”

Cora gave a nod. He looked to her, offering his condolences. Despite being a cop, Unser was a decent guy. Opie had always quite liked him and appreciated his leniency with the club. None of the other cops at the station cooperated with SAMCRO like Unser did, though he chalked it up to Unser’s friendship with both Gemma and Clay.

Before Cora could say anything else to Opie regarding the situation with her father, Jax and Gemma arrived, entering into the clubhouse. Gemma was carrying a bag of something; she set it down next to Opie and Cora with a thud. “Brought some baked goods for everyone,” she announced. “Bakery was having a sale.”

Cora smiled, her stomach growling. “Thank God,” she remarked. She stood on her tiptoes, leaning over the counter, and peering into the bag curiously. There were an assortment of muffins inside; she rummaged around, trying to find one that looked good. 

Jax snickered as he watched Cora sift through the bag on her tiptoes. “Need a step-stool?”

Cora rolled her eyes, ignoring Jax as she continued searching for something to eat. As she looked through the bag, Gemma spoke up, redirecting the conversation. “You should come over for dinner tomorrow night.”

Upon hearing her offer, Cora stopped looking through the bag, pausing to glance up at Gemma, realizing that the invite was directed to both her and Opie.

The SAMCRO Sunday dinners were always a good time; Cora hadn’t been to one since she was in high school. A smile returned to her face as she thought back to all the Sunday nights she had spent at Gemma’s house. Going would certainly be a nice change of pace. 

But before Cora could accept the invitation, Jax piped up, butting into the conversation. “Is Cath going to be there?” he inquired, his voice laced with suspicion and concern.

Gemma narrowed her eyes, frowning at her son. “Yes, she is,” she responded. He opened his mouth to protest, but she quickly cut him off. “Cora can’t run from her forever,” she said, casting Cora a look. A moment of silence passed over the group before Gemma finally sighed. “I’m going to go check on Abel,” she announced. Then she promptly turned on her heel and headed out of the clubhouse.

Once his mom was gone, Jax turned back to Cora. “Sorry about her,” he lamented. “Don’t feel pressured to come tomorrow.”

Cora shook her head. “No, it’s okay.” She paused, biting her lip, daring to suggest the idea that had popped into her mind. “Maybe I should talk to Cath.”

Jax raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Exhaling, Cora explained herself. “I found out about my dad’s cancer,” she confessed, taking a deep breath. “I think that it’s best that I move back home.”

A shocked expression crossed over Jax’s face; even Opie looked surprised. Cora had been so adamant about staying in Tacoma; the thought of her returning to Charming once and for all seemed improbable. “Seriously?” Jax asked, taken aback.

Cora nodded, looking across the room to where Kozik stood, still chatting away with his brothers. Her mind returned to the memory of their late-night conversation, and a sense of sureness came over her. “Yeah. I want to move back home,” she admitted. “But I want to discuss it with Cath first.”

“Fair enough,” Jax replied. “I can call her over here,” he offered, pulling out his phone. “She needs to pick up her car anyway.”

Cora grinned, concealing the anxiety that was beginning to creep up on her. She had a feeling that Cath would be ecstatic to hear the news, yet she still felt nervous about confronting her sister. “Sounds good.”

Jax nodded, opening his phone and dialing Cath’s number. “Consider it done.”

*****

Cath trudged through the gates of TM, still dressed in her stupid waitress uniform. She had just walked all the way from the diner after her shift had ended. Jax was finally letting her pick up her car, much to her delight. She was starting to get fed up with relying on her father for rides, especially since he was often too busy to provide them, forcing her to travel by foot.

Entering into the parking lot, Cath looked around, trying to find Jax. She surveyed the area, hoping to spot him, but she had no such luck. Her safest bet was that he was in the clubhouse somewhere. 

Turning, she headed towards the clubhouse. As she approached, she noticed the door open; out stepped a familiar person, though not the one she expected.

She froze in place, shocked to see her twin standing before her. It had been almost half a year since they’d last seen one another in person. Cora didn’t look any different from the last time she had visited.

Cath studied her sister, noting the similarities they shared. They both had the same bronzy skin, dark eyes, and small nose. Looking at Cora almost felt like looking in a mirror that was cracked in several spots, causing just a few minor distortions.

One of the most obvious differences between the two was their height. Cath really lucked out in terms of height, towering five inches above her sister who had been stuck at the same measly height since high school. Aside from that, Cora’s face was heart-shaped while Cath’s was ovular; she had a much narrower, sharper complexion in comparison to Cora, who had softer, more delicate features. The twins’ hair also differed; Cath had inherited her mother’s curls while Cora ended up with straight hair, courtesy of Unser’s side of the family.

Looking down upon her sister, Cath found herself at loss for words, left only to continue studying her. She hadn’t expected Cora to be there; Jax had told her not to come to the clubhouse until after Cora was gone, yet he had been the one to invite her by.

Sensing Cath’s confusion, Cora finally broke the silence, offering a quiet, “Hey.”

Cath blinked, the sound of her sister’s voice catching her off-guard; she hadn’t heard it in so long. “Hey,” she replied, swallowing nervously. Cath had no idea what Cora wanted to talk about, though she certainly had her hopes.

“We need to talk,” Cora admitted, looking Cath dead in the eyes. The two sisters exchanged silent information, their eye contact doing all the talking for them, making it clear to Cath that this was most definitely about Unser.

“Yeah, we do, don’t we?” Cath remarked. She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for Cora to continue. Usually Cath was the one to lead all the conversations, often diving right in, and consequently turning them into arguments. But this time, Cath was going to let Cora take control; she didn’t want to frighten her off and ruin her last shot at getting Cora to move home.

Cora wasted no time getting straight to the point; while waiting for Cath to arrive, she had rehearsed what she was going to say in her head, over and over again. “Dad told me about his cancer,” she fessed up.

“And?” Cath’s heart skipped a beat, anxious to hear what Cora had to say, praying to herself that Cora was finally going to make the right choice and return home for good.  
“Cath, I’m really happy in Tacoma,” Cora began, eyes still focused on her sister, “but stage three bladder cancer?” She paused, taking an exasperated breath, shaking her head as if in disbelief. “I’m no doctor, but that sounds pretty irreversible.”

“No shit,” Cath mused.

Cora continued, “The idea of going back to Tacoma makes me feel like a terrible person now, and I…” Her voice trailed off, the words escaping her. She was slightly anxious to share her decision; once it was out in the open, there would be no taking it back. Still, it needed to be shared. She took a deep breath, willing herself to continue. “I think I’m going to stay,” she finally mumbled, her voice quiet. 

The instant those words left Cora’s lips, a smile blossomed on Cath’s face. After years of nagging Cora to return, feeling betrayed and resentful, Cora was finally changing her mind. Cath was going to get her sister back once and for all.

“Are you serious?” The question left Cath’s mouth in a whisper, the excitement evident in her tone. “You really want to move down here?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Cora shrugged. “Look, I love Tacoma. My job there is going really well, and I’ve got a nice place and everything, but…I still have time to reestablish myself here and rebuild what I had there.” She ran a hand through her hair, sighing. “I can’t just rebuild people though. Once dad is gone, he’s gone.” She paused, offering a remorseful look to Cath before continuing. “Besides, I don’t want you resenting me forever. I want to mend my relationship with you; I’m tired of all our bickering.”

“Me too,” Cath confessed. In all fairness, she had been somewhat of a push-over; perhaps her passive aggressive behavior had only prolonged Cora’s absence. It didn’t matter now though; all of that was becoming the past. Cora was coming home for good. “I love you, Cora,” Cath mumbled. “I just want to feel like I have a sister again.”

Cora offered a bittersweet smile. “I know. And I want that too. I’ve just been scared to come back for good, I guess. But this isn’t about me anymore. I need to put my stupid fears aside, and I need to help my family.”

Cath felt small tears prick at her eyes; she wasn’t someone who often became emotional, but seeing Cora before her, agreeing with her, meant a lot. “If you came home, I would be overjoyed. And I know dad would be too. It will take him a while to warm up to the idea, but I’m sure that he’ll appreciate it eventually.” 

Cora nodded, understanding. She paused for a moment, taking a second to really come to terms with her decision, to process everything. She was moving back to Charming. She had made up her mind; the unexpected was happening. 

Once the news sunk in, she spoke again, clearing her throat. “I’ll get on the phone with my boss and see if there’s any way I could transfer to the clinic down here, or at least look at getting an interview somewhere.” She sighed, another thought popping into her mind. “I have to sort out my living arrangements too. I’ll need to find an apartment to move into.”

A sudden thought struck Cath, a brilliant idea coming to life. “My apartment,” she answered eagerly, the pieces all coming to together. “I still have a few days before I have to be out. If you can pay what I owe, then the place is yours. We can get your name swapped with mine and everything.”

Smiling to her sister, Cora gave a nod, accepting the idea; it seemed like it was worth a try. The two stared at one another for a moment before Cath lurched forward, hugging her sister for the first time in almost two years, a wide smile overtaking her face as she held Cora close.

This was the happiest she had felt in a long time.

*****

David stood in the TM parking lot, watching as Clay and Jax walked away, annoyance bubbling within him. Unser had just announced that he was going to be postponing his retirement for another six months; SAMCRO had pushed him into the decision, no doubt. Of course, they would never fess up to it, but he knew that they were guilty.

It was the same deal with the warehouse. The whole incident had SAMCRO written all over it. He had been so close to pinning it on them, but Unser swooped in last minute and managed to pull Charming PD off the case. That’s what Unser always did; he covered for SAMCRO constantly even though the club was nothing but trouble.

David was fed up with them pretending like they cared about Charming. The only thing that SAMCRO cared about was money and themselves. David wanted nothing more than to expose them, to tear their whole operation to shreds, but Unser kept getting in his way. It seemed that Unser was intentionally foiling David’s plans; it were as though he had some sort of beef with him.

Some of it obviously came from their differing viewpoints on SAMCRO, but David couldn’t help but wonder if some of Unser’s animosity for him stemmed beyond that. David and Unser had managed to get along following the break-up with Cora, yet David always sensed that there was some semblance of resentment still there. Both men wanted Cora out of Charming, but the means in which David achieved that had certainly rubbed Unser the wrong way; he hated seeing his daughter so hurt, so betrayed. 

Sighing, David turned, removing himself from his thoughts, deciding to head back to his jeep. He needed to return to the station and move onto his next case; he wanted to find a new opportunity to take down the club, once and for all.

He walked to his jeep, opening the door and sitting down. He went to put the key in the ignition when he noticed the reflection of someone in his rearview mirror.

Looking over his shoulder, his gaze locked on Cath Unser. “Of course she’s here,” he mumbled, lightly rolling his eyes. Cath was even more wrapped up in SAMCRO than Cora, though David knew better than to try and pull her away from it all. Cath was not like Cora; she didn’t have the same drive and ambition. She was fine settling for the life that she had, no matter how pathetic it was.

He watched as Cath got into her car, starting the engine. It seemed that she was heading out. Yet, once she had the car started, she didn’t leave. Instead, she sat in the driver’s seat, as if waiting for someone.

David furrowed his brow, wondering who she could possibly be waiting for. He looked around the rest of the TM parking lot, trying to spot another approaching figure. It only took him a few seconds before he found who he was looking for; the sight of her made his heart start beating quickly.

It was Cora.

He hadn’t seen her in quite a while, at least not in person. The last time he had encountered her had been about two years ago. The two had accidentally bumped into one another at the police station during one of her visits for the holidays; they had barely said a word to one another, Cora acting as stand-offish as ever. Since that interaction, he had only glimpsed her in photos.

Seeing her in person, even from a distance, made him sick with longing. He had forgotten how beautiful she was; the smile she wore was bright, jovial, her eyes were sparkling and inquisitive, and she carried herself with a strong sense of confidence. There was a part of him that missed her, missed being able to call her his, but he knew better than to do anything about his feelings. She needed to stay out of Charming, not come back.

Seeing her with Cath, however, made him wonder if that situation was being jeopardized. Normally, Cath and Cora were at odds with one another, Cath wanting Cora to return, and constantly trying to undo his efforts to keep her out. But here they were, the two twins, getting ready to drive somewhere. In David’s mind, their renewed sense of friendship could only mean one thing: Cora knew about Unser, and she was considering staying. The idea had likely been planted in her head by Cath, just as he had predicted.

Grumbling, he got out his phone. He had already spoken with Unser earlier in the day, the two arguing about Unser extending his leave. David didn’t particularly want to speak with his Chief again, but this was urgent. He needed Unser to find a way to get Cora out of Charming before it was too late. 

*****

It was the next night and Cora and Cath were at Gemma and Clay’s house, chatting with Jax while waiting for everyone to arrive for Sunday dinner. It had been quite a while since Cora had attended one of the dinners, so she was excited to be there; she always enjoyed Gemma’s cooking.

Cath stood beside Cora, a grin plastered on her face as she watched Jax and Cora carry on; her smile had been there since the two sisters had conversed earlier at the clubhouse. The knowledge of her sister’s return was the best news that Cath had heard in a long time; between her eviction and Unser’s cancer diagnosis, it was refreshing to know that something good was finally happening.

Cath’s mind wandered to the memory of taking Cora to see Unser. The two had left the clubhouse together, planning to talk to him about Cora’s decision, hoping to win him over. Unfortunately, Unser already knew about Cora’s choice by the time they arrived. Neither had any idea how he knew, but he had seemed rather upset by the news.

It took a lot of convincing to calm him down, to quell the guilt he felt regarding the situation. He felt like he was forcing Cora into staying, like she wasn’t doing what she really wanted. But after many assurances from Cora, the idea finally began to take root in his mind. By the end of the visit, he had begun to warm up to her decision, though he was still apprehensive.

Cath had a feeling that he would come around eventually. She knew that he missed Cora, and was confident that once he adjusted to her being home, he’d be glad to see her more and have the chance to reconnect with her.

Cath was shaken from her thoughts by the sound of the front door opening, followed by Jax’s voice as greeted two guests as they entered, both men wearing kuttes. Cath had no idea who they were; she had never seen either biker before. 

Both were tall, though the one towered slightly over the other; he was bald and wore a grim expression on his face. The other was blonde, a bright smile consuming his face, seemingly excited to be at Gemma’s for dinner. His blue eyes came to rest on Cora, who waved to him from beside Jax. 

Cath looked over to her sister, surprised to see her grinning at the blonde man, acting as though she knew him already. “Who’s that?” Cath muttered to her sister, watching as the men made their way across the room, approaching Jax and the twins.

“I’ll introduce you,” Cora offered, looking up at Cath, a grin still on her face.

The two men reached them, giving hugs to Jax and exchanging greetings. When they were done, they both turned to Cora and Cath.

“Hey, Cora,” the blonde man smiled, eyes focused on her.

Cora beamed at him, earning an eyebrow raise from Cath. Cora was a generally cordial person, but her current behavior seemed a bit odd; she was never this smiley.

“This is my twin sister,” Cora explained to the man, gesturing over to Cath.

“I’m Cath,” she replied, giving a slight wave. “And you might be?”

“Kozik,” the man responded quickly. “I’m with SAMTAC.” He pointed to the taller man next to him. “So’s Happy.”

Cath blinked, processing Kozik’s words. “Happy?” she repeated, fighting the urge to laugh as she looked the tall biker up and down, noting his grim expression. His name was certainly ironic. 

Jax glanced over to Cath, a smug look on his face as he watched Happy stare intensely at her in response. “Yeah,” he replied gruffly. “Name’s Happy.”

Cath merely smirked at him, cocking her head to the side. “Fitting name,” she remarked sarcastically.

He was intrigued by her; she didn’t seem at all intimidated by him, rather unfazed. “You’re her twin?” he asked finally, pointing to Cora. He thought back to the other day when he had driven Cora past Unser’s house, only for her to freak out and tell him to drive away before her twin could see them. He hadn’t gotten a good glimpse of the dreaded twin, but now she was right in front of him, smirking, piquing his interest just the slightest bit. She seemed quite the opposite of Cora; she certainly had more sass.

Cath gave a small nod to Happy’s question, to which Jax chuckled, nudging both twins, “Hard to believe, right?”

Happy nodded, giving a snort in response to Jax, while Cora rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. I’m a prude and Cath’s not.”

Jax chuckled at Cora’s comment, shaking his head. “Nah, Cath is just more of a train wreck.”

Now it was Cath’s time to roll her eyes. “Gee, way to call me out, Jackson.” 

He grinned devilishly before slinging an arm around her. “Just bein’ honest.” He cast Cath one final smirk before releasing her and heading off to find Gemma.

As the laughter died down, Kozik looked back to Cora. “You reach a decision yet?” he wondered. He seemed intrigued, as if he cared about the outcome of her situation. Cath found herself even more puzzled, the connection between him and her sister still unclear.

“Yeah, I’m staying,” Cora admitted. “I’m going to be moving into Cath’s old apartment.”

“Glad to hear that,” the blonde mused. He was delighted to know that her dilemma had been solved, and even happier to know that his advice had been useful to her. Beneath it all, however, he found himself slightly disappointed at the thought of her no longer being in Tacoma, though he couldn’t quite place why.

“Thanks,” Cora responded with a grin. She opened her mouth to say something else, but got distracted by the arrival of more Sons as they approached both her and Cath. She abandoned her train of thought to greet them all and share her good news.

Kozik took a step back, not wanting to intrude on her conversation with the others. Happy did the same, hanging back, not caring to get involved. 

Kozik found himself lost in thought, watching Cora as she interacted with his fellow brothers. He completely zoned out, becoming oblivious to everything except for the woman that stood a few feet in front of him. He watched her smile and carry on, and couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was, how he missed her smiles being directed at him.

Suddenly, Happy spoke up, startling Kozik, freeing him from his thoughts. At least this time, Kozik didn’t have a beer to spill everywhere.

“Talked to my mom and aunt,” Happy stated, his voice gruff. “My mom’s not doin’ too well; the medical bills are gettin’ expensive.” Happy’s face appeared blank, without a trace of stress, though Kozik could sense the worry behind his words. “I’m goin’ Nomad,” he confessed.

Kozik turned, looking to Happy, shocked. It appeared that Cora wasn’t the only one moving because of a parent. “Nomad?” Kozik repeated. “Seriously?”

Happy gave a sharp nod. “Think it’s best that I stay close to home.” 

Kozik gave a nod, respecting his friend’s decision. He was a bit disappointed to know that Happy wouldn’t be at SAMTAC anymore though. In a way, he considered Happy to be his closest friend. Still, he understood his desire to transfer.

“You should go Nomad too,” Happy remarked, gazing down at Kozik. 

Kozik reacted, his eyes going wide with surprise. “Me?” He shook his head, dismissing the idea. “I can’t go Nomad.” He was doing quite well for himself at SAMTAC, despite not initially wanting to be there. He was the Sergeant-at-Arms; it was a position that he had worked hard to achieve. Giving that up would be a big deal.

Happy shrugged. “Suit yourself,” he replied. “Just thought you’d like it. It’d give you an excuse to hang around here more.”

He had a point; as a Nomad, Kozik would be able to travel to any of the charters, going wherever he was needed. That would certainly raise his chances of being around SAMCRO more, which was what he wanted. Still, he was hesitant to make a decision, not wanting to be hasty and give up everything he had on a whim. He needed some time to weigh his options first.

“I’ll give it some thought,” he said finally, to which Happy nodded.

It seemed that Kozik had an important decision to make too.


	9. Chapter 9

A week passed, Cora spending the majority of her time on the phone. She had finally heard back from Wendy’s insurance company, and they had thankfully agreed to help cover the cost for her rehab. From there, Cora had to get into contact with the program itself, making calls to the office and filling out paperwork.

Wendy aside, Cora was also trying to sort out the details of her move. She had already handled the ordeal with Cath’s apartment, managing to make up for all the rent that Cath had failed to pay. She had also contacted her boss about quitting, and had asked about possibly transferring to another clinic in Charming. Her boss had been quite understanding of the whole matter, and had made mention of an available position at St. Thomas. 

The hospital was looking for a substance abuse counselor who would be able to help transition other patients like Wendy out of the hospital and into rehab; they also wanted someone who could evaluate patients after surgeries and procedures, ensuring that they didn’t form addictions to their medications. 

It wasn’t the job Cora had in mind, but it paid well, and her boss had promised to talk her up a bit. So, she went ahead and scheduled herself an interview later in the week.

With her apartment secured and an interview scheduled, the only thing left to handle was the actual moving process. Cora planned to rent a moving truck and take it to her apartment in Tacoma for a few days so she could gather up all of her things. The only problem was that she would need some help loading it up with all her boxes and furniture. 

She hoped that some of the Sons might be willing to tag along, though she had yet to ask anyone about it. The guys were still a little scatterbrained, wrapping up the issue with the warehouse and keeping a watchful eye on the Mayans and Nords. She didn’t want to take away from all that; clearly, the club already had enough going on as it was.

Cora stepped outside of the clubhouse, pulling out her phone and dialing the number of the local moving truck company. She wanted to go ahead and order the truck ahead of time; one could never be too prepared.

She held her phone to her ear, listening as it rang a few times before someone answered. She talked to the man on the other end of the line, explaining her situation, and reserving a moving truck. She decided to rent it for a time that was later in the week, still needing a few days to wrap up the situation with Wendy before heading back to Tacoma for the move.

After finalizing the rental, she hung up the phone, sighing as she rubbed at her forehead. She had a strong headache, stressing over the move, wanting every aspect to go as planned. So far, things were running smoothly, but nothing was ever guaranteed.

As she finished her call, Cora spotted Gemma almost immediately, walking out of the TM office towards her. She gave a wave to Cora, as if signaling her to stay put; so Cora didn’t move, waiting instead for Gemma to catch up with her.

When Gemma finally made it over, she greeted the young counselor with a side hug. “I’m so happy that you’re coming home, sweetheart.” She smiled at Cora lovingly. “I’m proud of you for putting family first.”

Cora grinned back. “Thanks, Gemma.” She paused for a moment before adding, “Dad’s still not too happy about my choice. He’s warmed up to the idea a bit, but he’s still feeling kind of guilty.”

Gemma stepped out of their side hug, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders. “He just doesn’t know what’s good for him,” she countered. “He’ll learn to love having you around more.”

“Yeah, probably,” Cora agreed, managing a smile.

Inquisitively, Gemma pointed to the phone, which was still in Cora’s hand. “How’s the moving going?” she wondered, redirecting the conversation. Cora looked down at her phone, having forgotten that it was there.

“Oh, it’s so fun,” she remarked sarcastically, finally pocketing her phone. “I’ve been taking calls nonstop, though I guess that’s the deal with moving.”

Gemma snorted. “Yeah, that’s just how it goes.” She paused a moment before continuing, bringing up an idea. “You know, if you’re looking to take a break, the carnival’s in town tomorrow.”

“The carnival?”

The matriarch gave a nod. “Yeah, you remember, right?”

Cora’s mind drifted off as she reminisced about the past, thinking back to memories of her childhood. She was reminded of how her family and the Teller family would go to the carnival together, all eight of them: Cora, Cath, Della, and Unser, along with Gemma, JT, Jax, and Thomas. 

Cora could remember the carnival lights, the loud music, the smell of funnel cake. She could also recall all of the fun games that they used to play; Jax and Cath would always get so competitive, each one wanting to outdo the other, hoping to win the most prizes. Cora could also remember the different rides, though she mostly remembered her scary experience with the Ferris wheel. 

When she was about eleven years old, Jax convinced her to go with him on the Ferris wheel for the first time. It ended up being one of the worst decisions of her life, the whole experience turning traumatic. Cora had never realized how much she hated heights until it was too late for her to get out. The fact that Jax kept trying to shake the cart the whole time didn’t help either.

Needless to say, Cora hadn’t gotten back on a Ferris wheel since then, and she planned on keeping it that way. Still, despite how scary the incident had been in the moment, she couldn’t help but chuckle to herself as she reflected back on it.

“Yeah, I definitely remember,” Cora responded finally, a faint smile on her face as she answered Gemma’s initial question. 

“Then you should tag along tomorrow,” the matriarch suggested. “Cath already said she would; she said she’d ask your dad to come too.”

Cora raised her eyebrows at Gemma, questioning the possibility of Unser going to the carnival with the club. “You really think that he’ll come after what happened with his shipment?” she inquired, doubt laced in her voice.

“Nah, but he should,” Gemma scowled. “He can’t hold the incident against Clay forever.”

In Cora’s mind, Unser most certainly could hold the whole situation against Clay, and he could reasonably do so for as long as he wanted. After all, Clay had betrayed Unser and sold his shipment to the Cacuzza Crime Family, breaking their deal. Then Clay even threatened Unser into postponing his retirement for another six months. Cora understood why Clay did it; the club needed Unser to stay as Chief for a little longer so they could rebuild themselves. Yet, the situation still bothered her all the same.

“Are you trying to kill my dad quicker?” Cora inquired jokingly. “He’s got cancer. Let the poor guy have a break.”

Gemma smirked back at Cora. “No, I’m not trying to make him die faster,” she retorted, rolling her eyes, though her tone remained playful. “I love your dad; I don’t want nothing bad to happen to him, okay?”

Cora nodded. “I know,” she replied, smiling back at Gemma. “And he loves you too.”

*****

It was the next day, and Cora found herself at the carnival, Gemma’s persuasion having proved effective. Unser, however, chose not to attend. He claimed to be busy with work, though Cora doubted his excuse, assuming instead that he was choosing to avoid the carnival because he was still mad at Clay.

Cora couldn’t blame her father for being mad though; she knew that he was worried about his diagnosis, and Clay wasn’t taking that into account. Instead, the SAMCRO president was being selfish, though Cora couldn’t say that she was too surprised. She had never been very fond of Clay; in her mind, he didn’t measure up to JT.

Nonetheless, Cora still tagged along on the carnival trip. She was looking forward to having some fun, taking a little time to just forget about her work, Wendy, and the move. And with the club being with her, she knew that she was in for a real treat.

At the carnival, Cora stood with Cath; the pair watched as Jax, Tig, and Bobby played one of the many shooting games. The twins couldn’t help but chuckle as they watched the guys act like small children, having the time of their lives as they showed off their skills, clearly having an advantage in the game due to their outlaw lifestyle and experience with guns.

Cora looked up at Cath as they stood side by side. She was happy to be getting along with her sister again, to see her so at ease, yet it all felt weird. She had gotten so used to being at odds with Cath; it had become normal for all of their conversations to turn into stand-offs, and yet that was all over now. They were on good terms, and it felt strange, almost too good to be true.

Glancing back at the Sons, Cora noticed that they had finished their game. They walked back to the twins, tiny stuffed animals in their hands, prizes for winning. Bobby and Tig handed theirs to Jax, who pocketed all three, saying that he would keep them for Abel.

With that done, the Sons turned to find another game to play, though they froze, halting movement as they spotted two Sons walking their way. It was Kozik and Happy. 

Cora beamed at the sight of the blonde biker, watching as he approached the group with a smile on his face. Happy even looked somewhat gleeful, though she couldn’t blame him. The carnival was fun and a time for the guys to be rowdy and rambunctious.

She watched as they all greeted one another, though she noticed that Kozik avoided Tig, not even bothering to really acknowledge his presence; there was a strange tension between them. She furrowed her brow, wondering if there was some sort of rivalry between the two, though she didn’t know if it was her place to ask. 

After greeting the guys, Kozik turned and said “hello” to both Cora and Cath, to which Cora returned the sentiment, smiling brightly at him; yet she was quickly interrupted by the sound of Jax’s voice.

“Who wants to ride the Ferris wheel?” he asked with a wide, devilish grin, looking specifically at Cora, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

“Hell no,” she scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. “You ruined Ferris wheels for me.”

He gave a laugh as Tig and Bobby agreed to go with him. Happy and Kozik passed on the offer, saying that they’d keep Cora and Cath company instead. 

The others said their goodbyes and then trailed off to go ride the Ferris wheel, leaving Kozik, Happy, Cora, and Cath to stand around, looking at one another. 

With the others gone, Cath piped up, asking, “What’s the plan?”

Kozik turned his head, looking around at the different rides and stands. He caught sight of the strongman game, a smile blooming on his face. He looked to Happy raising an eyebrow. “Think you can beat me?”

Happy smirked in response. “Oh, you’re on.” He was never one to pass up on a challenge.

The two motioned for Cora and Cath to follow, making their way over to the game. When they reached it, they handed the vendor money, buying themselves turns. Kozik glanced back at the twins. “You want to try too?” he wondered.

Cath shook her head. “I’m not trying to make a fool of myself,” she remarked, “and I doubt that Cora can even lift the hammer off the ground.”

Cora elbowed her sister in the side. “Wow, thanks,” she scowled playfully. “Way to make me sound weak.”

Kozik chuckled, then turned back to face Happy, who was getting ready to swing the hammer. He had a determined look on his face, clearly looking to outdo Kozik; both men were extremely competitive, and always looking to best the other in tests of strength.

Cora, Cath, and Kozik watched as Happy swung the hammer, smashing it onto the lever with ferocity. He came extremely close to hitting the bell, impressing the others. He smirked at Kozik before passing him the hammer and taking a step back to stand by Cath and Cora.

Kozik stood before the lever, rolling up his sleeves to reveal his toned arms. Cora had never realized just how muscular he was, her eyes widening as she stared at him, at loss for words. 

She watched as he swung the hammer down; it hit the lever with a thud and sent the puck launching into the air, ringing the bell loudly.

The instant he heard the bell ring, he set the hammer down, looking up to Happy with a smug grin. “I win,” he announced with a smile, taunting his friend playfully.

“Whatever, dickhead,” Happy snorted, clapping his brother on the back. 

He truthfully wasn’t too surprised that he lost; Kozik was the SAMTAC Sergeant-at-Arms for a reason. He was physically strong and knew how to defend himself well. Yet, while Kozik was stronger, Happy was more ruthless. Kozik had the muscle, but he led with his emotions and morals a lot more than Happy did. 

Kozik walked away from the game, unrolling his sleeves, and rejoining the group. Cath seemed impressed, congratulating the biker, while Cora appeared to be in utter shock, blinking at Kozik in disbelief. She had not been aware of just how strong he was. She had sort of passed him off as being weaker than Happy, especially considering that in comparison, he seemed much less intimidating. 

All around, Kozik seemed like a rather normal guy to Cora. Of all the Sons she had ever met, he seemed to be the most ordinary; he seemed in-tune with his emotions, he could hold deep conversations, and he gave good advice. Often, when she spoke with him, she forgot about his ties to the club; they sort of became an afterthought, never something to dwell on. But after having watched him show off his strength, it became clear to her that, without a doubt, Kozik was a Son. And from what she had just seen, she had a feeling that he was damn good at being one.

*****

It was later in the evening; Kozik hung back, leaning against one of the carnival stands as he watched Cora and Cath wait in line to buy cotton candy. He was lost in thought, observing Cora as she smiled and carried on with her sister.

It was strange how different they looked. Standing side by side, he could tell that they were sisters, yet the fact that they were twins seemed to elude him. They presented themselves as vastly different people. 

Cath carried herself in a way that made her seem somewhat chaotic; she seemed to be disorganized, even a little cynical, and she certainly come across as someone who didn’t put up with anyone’s bullshit. Cora, however, seemed far more tolerant; she gave off a sense of professionalism, yet simultaneously seemed kind and genuine, almost gentle. He had no doubt that she knew how to stand up for herself, but guessed that she’d go about it in more of a well-mannered way than Cath would.

He didn’t dislike Cath in the least; she was funny, very sarcastic, and quite relatable given her imperfect life, yet he still found himself more drawn to the type of person that Cora was. Both twins were attractive, but there was something within Cora that made her seem truly beautiful.

Whenever she smiled, the world around her seemed to brighten. Amongst a crowd, she was the face that stood out to him. He felt foolish admitting such a thing, yet it was undeniable.

As he watched her give her order to the cotton candy vendor, Happy approached, returning from the bathroom, pulling out a cigarette. He nudged Kozik, offering him one, wrenching him from his daze. Kozik blinked, looking to his friend in confusion.

“Want one?” Happy asked again, repeating his initial question.

Kozik shook his head. “Nah, I’m alright.” 

Happy shrugged, lighting his cigarette. “What’s up?” he wondered, taking a puff of his cigarette, his eyes homing in on his friend. Kozik had always been a deep thinker, but he had never been one to zone out or be unalert; yet this was the second time in about a week that Happy had caught Kozik off guard, which struck him as odd.

Yet, Kozik merely brushed off the question, giving a vague answer. “Just thinking,” he replied, meeting Happy’s gaze. He didn’t want to explain that he had been thinking about Cora, fearing that he’d send the wrong message.

Happy gave his friend a suspicious look before continuing on, choosing not to dwell on the topic any longer. He was confused by his friend’s behavior, yet didn’t feel like prying and possibly starting a conversation which involved Kozik spilling all his problems and feelings; Happy wasn’t much of a talker, especially when it came to emotional shit.

“I’m officially Nomad. Talked it out with Quinn,” he admitted, exhaling a stream of smoke. “Need to head up to Tacoma and get my things.” He paused for a moment, studying his friend before asking, “You goin’ Nomad too?”

Kozik took a deep breath; he had taken a few days to consider the possibility of going Nomad. The whole idea seemed a bit spur of the moment, yet it seemed promising, bearing all sorts of potential benefits. 

Giving up his position as the SAMTAC Sergeant-at-Arms was something that he was hesitant about; the whole thought seemed illogical. Still, his heart told him otherwise, urging him to start a new chapter in his life, one where he would be able to hang around SAMCRO more. 

As much as he loved SAMTAC, it didn’t feel like home. He wanted nothing more than to return to SAMCRO permanently, to patch in. Yet, he knew the likelihood of that happening was slim, so being a Nomad was the only chance he had at being involved in SAMCRO again.

Going Nomad also meant that he might be able to encounter Cora more often, something that he would miss out on if he stayed in Tacoma. Though he barely knew her, he found himself unable to move past the idea of never seeing her again; he wanted to get to know her better, wanted to bask in the warmth that she brought to a room.

Sighing, he gave his answer. “Yeah, I’m going Nomad.”

Happy nodded, patting his brother on the back. “Good choice.” He finished off his cigarette, flicking it to the ground. “We can head up in a few days, move our stuff together.”  
“Sounds good,” Kozik agreed.

His attention was quickly stolen away by the sound of Cora and Cath as they approached, chatting softly about something. When they reached Happy and Kozik, Cora held out her cotton candy, offering some.

Both men declined the offer, to which Cath raised an eyebrow, retorting, “What? Is the pink cotton candy not manly enough for the big bad bikers?” 

Happy snorted in response. “The color’s not the problem,” he remarked. “That shit’ll rot your teeth.”

She looked down at his feet, his finished cigarette still smoldering on the ground. “And cigarettes don’t?” she countered, raising an eyebrow at him.

Happy looked over to Kozik who was smirking, clearly amused at how Cath was challenging Happy. It was something that people rarely did, especially not women. Even Cora tried to limit her questioning of the Tacoma Killer.

Happy turned back to Cath, the two holding eye contact, saying nothing for a few moments before Happy finally commented, “Fair point.”

Cath grinned, winking at him before looking back at her sister, nudging her. “You going to ask them?” 

The young counselor glanced over at Cath before staring up at Kozik and Happy. “Yeah,” she murmured, “I was wondering if maybe you’d be willing to go up to Tacoma and help me with my move.”

Kozik’s face lit up the moment she extended the offer. “We’d love to help,” he confessed with a smile.

“Sure,” Happy nodded. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“This actually works out great; we got some stuff to move too,” Kozik admitted. “Hap and I are going Nomad.”

Cora furrowed her brow at that. “Nomad?” She had heard some of the Sons throw the term around in the past but never really knew what they meant by it.

“We don’t belong to a specific charter,” Kozik explained, noticing Cora’s confusion.

“Yeah,” Happy rasped, “we go where we’re needed.” 

Cora nodded, understanding. “Guess I’ll get to see you both around more often, huh?” 

“Yeah, maybe,” Kozik responded, his grin widening. He was excited for the opportunity to be in Charming more, to help with SAMCRO. 

It seemed unlikely, but he secretly hoped that if he hung around long enough, he might find a chance to patch-in after all.

“Awesome,” Cora beamed. “This all works out perfectly then.”

Cora looked to her sister who returned the smile. “This trip is going to be quite interesting,” Cath mused. “I can’t wait.”


	10. Chapter 10

It was the next day and Cora was back at St. Thomas Hospital, Gemma having driven her there. Her first task of the day was to finish up Wendy’s paperwork; all Cora needed was Wendy’s signature. Once she had that, then Wendy would be ready to start rehab as soon as possible.

Then, once everything with Wendy was handled, Cora had to go to her job interview. Thankfully, her boss in Tacoma had already made some calls and talked her up a bit, just as promised. Cora felt that she had a good chance of getting hired.

Taking a deep breath, Cora made her way to Wendy’s hospital room, her work bag in hand. As she neared the door, it opened, and out stepped Tara. 

Cora smiled at her in greeting before asking, “Is Wendy awake?” She peered around Tara, trying to see inside the room from where she stood.

“Yeah, she is,” Tara confirmed. “And she’s ready to talk to you.” Tara paused looking over her shoulder briefly. “She seems excited for rehab, which is good.”

Cora nodded in agreement. She moved to walk around Tara, but the doctor stopped her, putting a hand on her arm. There was more that she wished to discuss. 

“When Jax was visiting with Abel earlier, he said that you were moving back here to be with Unser.” She paused a moment, looking Cora in the eyes, as if searching for an answer. “Is this true?”

“Yeah,” Cora mumbled quietly. “He has stage three bladder cancer.” She watched as shock coated Tara’s face.

“I’m so sorry,” she lamented. “That must’ve been a really tough choice to make. I know how much you loved being in Tacoma.” She offered a sympathetic look to Cora, patting her arm in an attempt to be comforting.

But Cora merely shrugged. “Yeah, it was a tough decision, but I love my family. Some things are worth giving up.” Tara gave a solemn nod.

The two friends looked at one another for a moment, silence falling over them until Cora was reminded of her upcoming interview. “I’m applying for a position here at St. Thomas,” she confessed, a slight smile overtaking her face. 

Tara grinned back at the young counselor, happy for her. “Well, I hope you get it. It’d be nice to have a familiar face hanging around.”

Cora nodded. “Yeah, it would.” 

As she stared at Tara, she was reminded of their days in high school. The two had gotten along well, often studying together and working on projects. After graduating, however, they had fallen out; while Cora went off to Tacoma, Tara moved to Chicago, wanting to have an entirely clean slate, a life free of the MC. 

Yet, after eleven years, she was back; and even though Cora hardly felt like she knew her anymore, Cora couldn’t help but still respect the doctor like she had in high school.  
She cast a smile as Tara said her goodbyes and left, having more patients to tend to. Cora entered Wendy’s hospital room, eager to tend to her own patient, and to finally wrap up the situation which had brought her back home in the first place.

Closing the door behind her, she approached Wendy’s bed, waving lightly. Wendy looked up, setting aside the book that she was reading; she motioned for Cora to sit. 

Cora took a seat next to Wendy’s bedside before promptly removing Wendy’s paperwork, and handing it to her along with a pen. “All I need is your signature,” she announced with a smile.

Wendy nodded, returning the grin. She took the pen and paperwork from Cora’s hands, studying them, a smile of disbelief overtaking her face. “Thank you so much,” she beamed; Cora could see the tears forming in her eyes. “I promise I’m going to get better.”

Cora gave her an assuring nod. “I know you will.”

She watched as Wendy placed the contract on the tray in front of her and signed her name onto the blank line. When she was finished, she handed both the paperwork and the pen back to Cora, releasing a relieved sigh as she did so. 

It was finally done. She was on the road to recovery, and this time, she was not going to fail. She was going to get better, no matter what.

Cora took the paperwork and pen back, tucking them safely away in her bag. Then she offered Wendy a hug, comforting the woman as she began to cry, though her tears were more joyful than sorrowful. She was excited to begin the next chapter of her life, and to come out a better person; and she was happy to know that she had someone, Cora, who believed in her.

After a few moments, Cora pulled back from her hug, taking a moment to marvel at the fact that she had allowed herself to become close to both ex-lovers of Jax Teller. And as opposite as his two exes were, Cora couldn’t help but adore both. 

Wendy had made awful mistakes, yet Cora could see that she was simply a lost soul, longing to find her way. She had the capability of being better, Cora was confident in that fact, and she hoped that with the rehab program, Wendy would be able to regain control of her life. 

“Just know that you always have a friend here in Charming,” Cora admitted with a grin. “If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

Wendy nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Thank you.” She looked up at Cora, the corners of her mouth lifting into a light smile. 

For the first time in months, Wendy was feeling hopeful.

*****

Cora exited the hospital, pushing open the glass doors, and stepping onto the sidewalk. She had just finished her meeting with Wendy, and was looking to kill some time before her interview started. She was hoping to do that by talking to Gemma for a while, though now, she wasn’t so sure.

From where she stood, Cora could see that Gemma was sitting on a bench, smoking a cigarette, a man next to her. Cora recognized him immediately as Ernest Darby, the leader of the Nords, and perhaps the biggest racist she had ever met. Just looking at the guy made her skin crawl. She couldn’t understand how he had so much hate in his heart, especially considering that his hate revolved around something as simple as skin color.

Shaking her head, Cora turned to head back into the hospital, not wanting to look at Darby any longer. Only, as she went to go back inside, she was met with a familiar figure; he was dressed in a brown police uniform, adorned with a badge labeled “Deputy Chief.”

“Cora.”

His voice sounded just as she remembered; it had hardly changed at all. Just hearing him say her name made her entire body tense up, her heart aching as she was flooded with old memories. 

Craning her neck, she looked up at him, taking a deep breath in an attempt to maintain her composure. “David,” she replied through gritted teeth. “Fancy seeing you here.”

He stared at her, his eyes watching her with curiosity. They hadn’t stood so close together in years; but now, she was right before him, and he could admire every detail about her.  
Blinking, he opened his mouth to speak, trying to find the proper words to respond to her comment. Yet, everything seemed to escape him.

“Would you mind moving?” she asked abruptly. His staring was beginning to bother her; if he had nothing important to say to her, then why hold her up? He wasn’t someone that she would allow to waste her time anymore; they were as good as strangers.

Rather than move, however, David managed to find a response. “You here for Wendy?”

Cora looked at him, unimpressed, though she still gave an answer. “Yeah, I was,” she admitted. “Now I have an interview to get to.”

He fought the urge to scowl, knowing full well that the interview was because of her move back to Charming. Unser had proven unsuccessful in keeping her in Tacoma; his pleas and attempts at persuasion hadn’t been enough to talk her out of her decision. 

Now, David was just going to have to live with the fact that Cora was back in Charming, that she was giving up a wonderful, well-deserved life. But worst of all, he had to live with the knowledge that he had seemingly broken up with her for nothing; he had driven her out only for her to return anyway. 

“How’s the move going?” he asked finally. He didn’t know why he asked such a thing; it was clear that she was unhappy and didn’t want anything to do with him, even after all these years. Yet, with her standing right in front of him, he couldn’t help himself; there was still a piece of him that cared about her, that was concerned for her well-being. If she was going to be staying in Charming, he wanted to do at least everything in his control to protect her.

“It’s fine,” she answered passively, brushing aside his inquiry. Her face, which was usually bright and jovial, was clouded with annoyance, as if she’d rather be talking to anyone but him. 

As he opened his mouth to reply, he heard motorcycles enter the parking lot, their engines roaring loudly. Cora turned around, looking over her shoulder, her gaze landing on the handful of Sons. David recognized most of them; within the group was Clay, Tig, Bobby, and Jax.

He grumbled to himself when he saw them; they were nothing but bad news. “It’s not too late to sever ties with them,” he said quietly.

At the sound of his suggestion, Cora glanced back at him, her gaze narrowing. “I don’t need your advice,” she replied, her voice surprisingly calm, almost cold. 

He blinked, clenching his jaw. “I’m just trying to look out for you,” he explained. “You can do better than them.”

Cora shook her head, scowling. “Maybe so, but they’re still my friends; I’ve known a lot of them since I was small.” She paused for a moment before adding, “And at least they didn’t break my heart.” 

Her last comment was like a slap to the face, a wake-up call for David, yet another reminder of his guilt. He had broken up with her because he wanted her to be safe, to have the best life possible; he had purposely driven her away, telling himself that it was for her own good. But now she was back home anyway; it had all been for nothing.

“I was just trying to protect you,” he blurted finally.

She tilted her head to the side, looking at him confused. “What are you talking about?”

He froze, realizing what he’d said. She didn’t know the real reason why he’d broken up with her; she didn’t know that he had done it, not because he didn’t love her anymore, but because he had wanted to get her to leave. Had he told her that, he knew that she would’ve fought tooth and nail to stay. 

Swallowing nervously, he found the courage to admit the truth. “I broke up with you,” he began slowly, “because I wanted you out of Charming.”

“What?” Her voice was quiet, though he could sense the anger behind her words, a seething, yet controlled kind of rage. 

He looked to her, almost pleadingly. “I’m sorry. It was the only way. I wanted you to get out of here, to have a good life.” He paused, studying her stone-cold face, the lingering hurt and anger in her eyes. “I still do.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you did that to me,” she huffed. There was a part of her that understood his reasoning, yet she still couldn’t forgive him. He had manipulated her; he had purposefully hurt her so that she would leave. He had taken advantage of her grief surrounding her mother’s death and added to it so that he could force her into leaving. “What the hell is wrong with you?” 

“I was just doing what I thought was best,” he stated firmly. “You were getting too close to the club.” He looked her in the eyes, trying to emphasize the seriousness of his words. “Again, it’s not too late for you to cut your ties with them.”

She merely shook her head. “Not going to happen,” she mumbled. “It’s my turn to do what I think is best, not yours. You don’t get to manipulate me anymore more, understand?”

A solemn expression crossed over his face as he nodded. “Understood.” 

Fighting a sigh, he turned and stalked off, heading to his jeep; he had failed to reach her. In fact, there was a part of him that wondered if in telling her the truth, he had made her angrier with him. He couldn’t entirely blame her though; he had manipulated her, and while it had been out of care, it had still crossed a line. 

Cora watched him leave, her gaze lingering on him longer than she would’ve liked to admit. There was still a piece of her that missed him, not for who he currently was, but for who he used to be. She understood that the club was dangerous and that they did unspeakable things; he was right to question that about them, yet they were still her friends. 

Jax and Opie had been her best friends growing up, practically her brothers; they had helped her through her mother’s death, along with the whole club. David had no right to try and keep her from them, especially going so far as to break up with her, knowing that it would send her running. It didn’t matter if he had been trying to keep her safe; that was still no excuse for him taking advantage of her emotions and manipulating her into leaving.

Sighing, she turned away, shoving aside her thoughts regarding both Hale and the club, and refocusing on the task at hand. She didn’t want to mull over her feelings anymore. She had an interview to do, and she wasn’t going to let anything distract her from making a good impression.

*****

Cora entered the hallway, shutting the office door behind her, a smile on her face. Her interview had been a success; after just a half hour of talking, she had been offered a position, one with a salary that was even better than she had anticipated. She had accepted immediately, signing a contract and everything. 

After such a victory, she couldn’t contain her joy. Her encounter with David from earlier in the day merely melted away, replaced with a sense of excitement; everything was starting to come together. 

There was a piece of her that was still disappointed about leaving Tacoma behind, though she was trying not to get too wrapped up in the idea. There was no point in pining over something that she knew she couldn’t have; she was giving it up for her father’s sake, and he was a worthy cause. Charming was in no way her ideal place of residency, yet she was still going to try and make the best of her stay.

As she made her way into the waiting room, she spotted Gemma sitting on a chair. The matriarch arose the moment she saw Cora, heading over to her, concern on her face. “Did you hear about Oswald’s daughter, Tristen?” she asked intently.

Cora shook her head, furrowing her brow. “No, what happened to her?”

Gemma took a deep breath, looking at the young counselor solemnly. “Someone raped her at the carnival last night.” Cora’s eyes went wide, her smile slowly disappearing, the joy from the news of her new job fading away as Gemma continued. “The club thought it was one of Darby’s guys, but it wasn’t.”

Cora frowned. “Doesn’t Tristen have any memory of what happened?” She took a moment to look around the hospital, surprised that there weren’t more police hanging about; Elliot Oswald was an important man in Charming, so she expected his daughter be receiving more attention.

“Not sure,” Gemma remarked, “but her mom won’t let anyone into the room to talk to her anyway. They’re trying to keep the whole thing quiet.” She paused for a moment, shaking her head sadly. “Poor girl.”

Cora felt her heart sink, imagining the kind of pain that Tristen was going through. From what she remembered, the girl was only about twelve or thirteen years old; she was innocent and undeserving of such a crime.

“I understand that they want to protect her, but she deserves justice,” Cora lamented. “She can’t get that if her parent’s won’t let her speak up.”

Gemma sighed, considering Cora’s words. After a few moments of silence, a thought popped into her head, taking root. “Why don’t we go talk to her?”

Cora raised an eyebrow. “How are we supposed to do that? You said her mom wasn’t letting anyone in to see her.”

A smirk formed on Gemma’s face, the matriarch clearly having formed a plan of some kind. “Let’s sneak in.”

“Sneak in?” Cora made a face. “That doesn’t sound very legal to me.”

Gemma rolled her eyes. “Since when did that ever stop me?”

Cora snorted. “Fair point.”

Grabbing Cora’s arm, Gemma led her down a hallway; when they reached the end, Gemma stopped, peering around the corner. Cora looked with her, noticing a woman, Karen Oswald, as she leaned against the wall, seemingly guarding the door to Tristen’s hospital room, not wanting anyone to enter.

“So, what’s the plan?’ Cora asked, turning to Gemma.

The matriarch shrugged. “We just have to wait for the right time.”

The two stood, watching as Karen stared blankly into space; the woman looked stressed beyond belief and as though she hadn’t slept in days. Cora didn’t agree with Karen’s decision to keep Tristen from talking, but she still couldn’t help but feel bad for the woman; rape was not something to take lightly, especially when it was happening to a young girl, to a daughter. 

After about a minute or so, a doctor came around the corner on the opposite end of the hallway, stopping in front of Karen. The two exchanged a few words before the doctor managed to pry Karen away from the room by showing her a file of some sort. Hesitantly, Karen followed after the doctor, going around the corner to discuss something, likely test results of some kind.

With Karen gone, Gemma jumped at the opportunity, taking off down the hall. It took Cora a moment to process what was happening, but once she did, she followed after the matriarch, not wanting to get left behind.

Gemma made it to the hospital door; Cora caught up with her a few seconds later, warning, “This better not backfire.” 

“It won’t,” Gemma assured. “Trust me, we’re doing the right thing.”

Cora nodded; she understood exactly where Gemma was coming from. Tristen deserved justice; she deserved to be able to sleep soundly at night, to be able to put the whole ordeal behind her, and to know that her rapist got what he deserved.

Cora was someone who believed in redemption and second chances, except for when it came to rapists. That’s where she drew the line. She could forgive drug-addicts, like Wendy, but she couldn’t forgive someone who felt the need to sexually harass people, especially young girls. 

Twisting the doorknob, Gemma pushed open the door, stepping inside. Cora trailed closely behind the matriarch, surveying the area, her gaze coming to rest on a pre-teen girl with long brown hair. She was sitting in the hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown, an oxygen tube in her nose, a pink phone in her hand. When Cora and Gemma came into the room, she looked up, confusion coating her face.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Gemma began, offering a sympathetic smile to the girl. “How you doing?”

Tristen looked back and forth between Gemma and Cora, a look of uncertainty on her face. “My mom told me to call her if anyone tried to talk to me,” she explained nervously.

Gemma shook her head lightly, taking a few steps closer to Tristen’s bed. “I’m Gemma, this is Cora,” she said. Cora gave a small wave as Gemma continued. “We’re friends of your mom.”

“You are?” Tristen seemed to relax a bit once Gemma said that, as if assuming that it was okay to trust the two women before her.

“We know about last night,” Gemma admitted. There was a gentleness to her voice, something about her tone that made her seem trustworthy and nurturing. There were times when Cora often forgot how motherly and sweet Gemma could be; often, that aspect of her personality got overshadowed by her more aggressive side, the side which had tried to convince Wendy to kill herself just days before.

“We’re so sorry that happened to you,” Cora grieved. “I know it’s upsetting to think about, but if there’s anything you remember, you can let us know.”

The girl looked to Cora, her green eyes wide, conflicted. She appeared to want to talk about what happened, yet she seemed scared that her mother wouldn’t approve. 

Tristen didn’t say anything for a few moments, instead looking to Cora and Gemma blankly. But just when it seemed that their words had done nothing to persuade Tristen, she sighed, and spoke, beginning to reveal nothing but the brutal, honest truth.

*****

Cora stood outside the hospital, Gemma next to her with a cigarette. The sun had already set, and the moon was out, the stars twinkling brightly above. The tranquility of the night gave Cora some peace of mind. She felt herself calming down, decompressing after a long day of drama.

After talking to Tristen, the women were able to get her to admit the identity of her rapist: the clown. As soon as they knew the truth, Gemma had run off to tell Jax and the rest of the club.

With Gemma gone, Cora had talked to Tristen for a bit longer. She was a sweet girl, and despite everything that had happened, she managed to talk Cora’s ear off. The two talked endlessly until Karen Oswald showed back up and demanded to know why Cora was there. 

Thankfully, Gemma arrived almost right after Karen, and she explained the truth about the situation, saying that Tristen had confessed everything. 

Although apprehensive at first, they were able to make Karen realize the importance of Tristen addressing what happened. Cora even took it upon herself to give the mother a few different resources so that Tristen could start attending some therapy sessions.

It had been a draining day, yet Cora was happy to know that she had been a help to the Oswald family. She sighed, looking over to Gemma just as the matriarch finished off her cigarette, tossing it to the ground. 

“You ready to head out?” she asked, nudging the young counselor.

Cora nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

She followed after Gemma, heading to her car. As they got themselves buckled up, Cora noticed David leave the hospital, heading to his jeep. She couldn’t help but chuckle to herself as she saw him curse, his tires having been popped by Jax earlier in the night in order to keep him from getting to Tristen’s rapist before the Sons.

Gemma noticed David too, looking over to Cora for a split second. “I don’t know what you ever saw in him,” she marveled with a shake of her head. “He was such a sweet kid when he was young, but as soon as he hit high school, he turned into a stuck-up prick.”

“Yeah,” Cora agreed glumly. “That was when he started hating SAMCRO.” She looked down at her hands, their encounter from earlier resurfacing. “Turns out that he broke up with me because he wanted me away from you guys.”

Gemma raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback, shocked at that news. “He did?” 

“Yeah.” Cora gave a light nod. “But it didn’t work,” she mumbled. “I’m coming back home for good.” 

The matriarch offered a smile to Cora. “We’re glad you’re coming back.” She paused, putting a comforting hand on her arm. “Everything’s going to be fine.” 

Cora nodded. “You’re right.”

Gemma patted Cora’s arm before pulling her hand back, starting the car. “Now,” she began as the engine surged to life, “how about you and I go shopping tomorrow, get some new things for your place?”

Cora bobbed her head in agreement. “Sounds nice.” She watched as Gemma grinned at her response, situating her hands on the steering wheel; then pulled the car out of the parking lot, heading onto the main road. Cora leaned back in her seat, gazing out the window as the matriarch drove. She closed her eyes, letting the events of her long, eventful day temporarily fade away.


	11. Chapter 11

Cath awoke a few mornings later to the sound of the doorbell ringing, followed by loud knocking on the front door. She sat up, calling for her father to get the door. When she heard no response, she groaned; he must’ve already gone to station. She detangled herself from her sheets, and hopped out of bed, managing not to trip over herself and faceplant. Then she stumbled down the hall and to the front door, opening it without a second thought.

It wasn’t until the door was open and she saw Cora, Kozik, and Happy that she realized what day it was. “Shit,” she groaned. It was Cora’s moving day.

The trio studied Cath from the entryway; Kozik and Cora’s faces read of shock and confusion, while Happy looked amused, smirking at the sight of her. She looked disheveled, wearing an oversized sweater over pajama shorts with half of her hair still tied up in a bun. She certainly looked like the train wreck that she was often made out to be.

“You got pants on?” Happy wondered smugly.

“Yeah,” she answered, lifting her sweater up slightly to reveal the shorts underneath. “You really think I’d answer the door without pants?”

“With you, who knows?” Cora remarked, to which Cath rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, very funny.” She gestured for the three to come into the house. “Just hang out while I go change, okay?”

Cora nodded as Cath sauntered away. “Don’t take too long though! We need to be on the road soon!” she called after her.

“I’ll try my best!” she yelled back. Her response didn’t make Cora feel very assured though; Cath was someone who loved to wear makeup. Despite being a bit of a mess and not caring much about dressing up, she never left the house without her face done-up.

Cora stood in the center of the living room, tapping her foot as Kozik leaned against the wall; meanwhile, Happy plopped down on the couch, making himself right at home. “I can’t believe she forgot about today,” Cora marveled, looking to Kozik. “She’s spent the past few years hounding me to come back, and when I finally decide to, she acts like it’s nothing.”

Kozik smirked, offering a shrug. “Guess she’s just not a morning person.”

“Guess not.” 

The two looked at one another, chuckling for a moment before Happy spoke up, interrupting them. “We got a plan?” he asked gruffly.

Cora turned to him, briefly averting her gaze from Kozik. “Yeah,” she began, “we’ll hit the road as soon as Cath is ready; we should aim to make as few stops as possible.” He nodded, to which she added, “It might be kind of late by the time we get to Tacoma, so we’ll probably have to wait until morning to start moving stuff into the truck. You guys can just crash at my place if that ends up being the case.”

“Works for me,” he replied non-chalantly. Cora glanced back at Kozik who returned the nod, agreeing with his brother.

Just as they finished going over the plan, Cath reemerged from her room, her makeup done and hair fixed, no longer in a ratty bun. She wore a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Cora couldn’t help but be a little impressed at how quickly Cath was able to clean herself up.

As soon as she appeared, Happy stood up, following after Kozik and Cora as they left the house. Cath was the last one to leave, locking the door behind her and heading to the truck with the others.

When they reached the truck, Kozik volunteered to drive, and Happy called shotgun, leaving Cath and Cora to the backseat. They all got in, buckling up, getting ready for a long drive, though Cora could already tell that it was going to be better than her trip with Happy. Even just thinking about her twelve hour motorcycle ride with him made her shudder; motorcycles just weren’t her thing.

With everyone buckled and ready to go, Kozik started the moving truck and pulled out of the driveway, beginning their trip. As they took off down the street, Cath brought up the topic of music, asking Happy to turn the radio on. He obliged, though he said that he wanted to be the one to pick the channel, complaining, “I don’t wanna listen to shitty pop music the whole time.”

Cath agreed to his terms, letting him fiddle around with the radio until he found a channel that he liked; Cora wasn’t surprised to hear that he had chosen something involving rock music. It seemed fitting given his rather rough exterior.

They listened to the music for a while, talking lightly amongst themselves. Cora was surprised to find that she actually enjoyed some of the music that the channel played; she had never really had an interest in that style of music before, so her realization came as a pleasant surprise. She hummed along quietly with one of the songs, which earned the attention of Kozik who looked back at her using the car mirror.

“You sing?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

She blushed slightly, shaking her head. “Not really,” she responded. “I sang a bit in high school, but never seriously.”

Another question popped into his head. “What kind of stuff did you do in high school?” he wondered. He was curious to know what kind of hobbies she had and all the clubs that she was in.

Before Cora could respond, Cath butted into the conversation, remarking, “What didn’t she do?”

Cora rolled her eyes. “I didn’t play sports, that’s for sure.”

At that, Kozik chuckled. “Funny you would say that,” he replied. “Sports were the only thing I did. If not for sports, I wouldn’t have kept my grades up.”

“It’s quite the opposite with Cora,” Cath smirked. “The closest she got to playing a sport was competitive chess.”

Cora bent her head slightly down, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Way to make me sound like a dork,” she mumbled, nudging her twin.

“Hey, I’m just being honest,” Cath confessed, putting her hands up, playing innocent. “Besides, at least you participated in that stuff. I didn’t do jack shit.”

“No,” Cora corrected, “you went to parties. That’s technically something.”

Her twin gave a slight shrug. “Sure.”

“What about you, Kozik?” Cora wondered, looking back to the blonde driver. “What kind of sports did you play?”

He took a moment to think back to high school, counting up all the different activities he participated in. “I wrestled and played football,” he admitted. “I did basketball for a while too.” He paused, another thought popping into mind. “I also did a lot of arm-wrestling, though that was after high school.”

Thinking back to the night of the carnival, Cora could certainly believe that Kozik played all of those sports; the arm-wrestling seemed especially fitting.

“What about you, Happy?” Cath inquired, kneeing the back of his seat.

He glanced behind him, looking to Cath. “Didn’t play any,” he remarked. “But I learned how to shoot a gun; that’s more important than any sport.”

He certainly had a point there. Shooting a gun definitely seemed more practical than any high school sports team, especially considering his current career.

The conversation appeared to lull for a moment until Cora spoke back up, redirecting the conversation slightly. “So, why’re you guys going Nomad?” They had never given her an explanation the night they had shared the news, and she was bubbling with curiosity.

Kozik glanced over to Happy, who gave his response. “My mom,” he explained. “She’s got MS. I pay the bills.” Cora nodded, understanding where he was coming from. It seemed they had something in common; they were both moving their lives for the sake of their parents. “Gettin’ away from Tacoma makes things easier.”

A beat of silence passed over everyone as they took a moment to consider the weight of Happy’s words. Having a sick parent wasn’t something to take lightly, especially when the condition was MS. Cora relayed to him her condolences, though they didn’t seem to mean much to him; he had already heard plenty of apologies from people.

Cora looked back to Kozik, once again posing the same question. He seemed a bit hesitant to share his reason for going Nomad, as though it were less noble than Happy’s. “Just looking to hang out around SAMCRO more,” he admitted sheepishly, slightly shrugging his shoulders. 

Cora furrowed her brow, confusion flooding her. “Why not just transfer there?”

At her inquiry, Happy chuckled, looking to his friend with an amused look. “Like hell that’s gonna happen.”

The twins looked to one another, puzzled. “What are you talking about?” Cora wondered, scrunching her face in confusion. “Why can’t you be in SAMCRO?”

“Tig,” Kozik muttered finally. “That jackass hates me.”

Cora thought back to the night of the carnival, and how Tig and Kozik had avoided one another. If Tig hated Kozik, that would certainly explain their stand-offish attitude toward one another.

Before Cora could say anything in response, Cath cut in. “Well, Tig’s crazy,” she snorted. “I love him to death, but he holds grudges better than I do, and that’s saying something.”

“Believe me, I know,” Kozik sighed. 

He didn’t elaborate further, which made Cora even more curious. She dared to pry into the matter. “What happened between you two?”

Kozik frowned at her question, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as he focused on the road. “It’s complicated,” he explained, “and I don’t really wanna get into it right now.”

Cora nodded, accepting his answer. She knew better than to pry, no matter how curious she was. So, instead, she turned to Cath, intrigued by her early comments regarding Tig. “Since when did you and Tig become so close?” she wondered. She didn’t realize that her twin knew so much about him.

Cath shrugged. “We just kind of drink and hang out together at parties,” she explained, “though there was that one time that…” She trailed off, stopping herself, a drunken memory bubbling to the surface of her mind.

Cora rose an eyebrow, knowing exactly what her twin was hinting at. “Seriously? You couldn’t have gone for someone a little younger?” she quipped. 

Cora didn’t know Tig too well; he had prospected about two years after she left for college and then patched in shortly after, so she didn’t have the chance to be around him much. Still, from what she had heard, he was old enough to be her father.

“It was just one time,” Cath shrugged, clearly not ashamed. “And in my defense, alcohol can make anyone look good,” she explained plainly. “Not that you would know.”  
Happy snorted from the front seat, shaking his head in disbelief. “I don’t know how you live without alcohol.”

“It’s not that difficult,” Cora countered. 

She considered saying more, though she was stopped short, her conversation with Happy and Cath halting as Kozik turned up the radio, mumbling something about the song that was about to turn on. Cora didn’t catch the name of the song or the band, but she was still curious to know why Kozik had turned it up.

So, she joined the others in silence, choosing not to say anything else; instead, she listened to the music, processing it as they drove in the moving truck, still hours away from their destination.

*****

It was dark by the time they made it to Tacoma. Even though they had limited their stops, taking a break from driving only to eat dinner, they still didn’t arrive in the city until almost 10 PM. 

Cora could barely make out the buildings as they drove through the city, the cover of night keeping her from seeing all of her favorite places to visit during the year, though she was glad. She knew that seeing all of them would’ve just made her sad. The move was beginning to feel real; her brain was finally processing the fact that she was about to leave Tacoma behind for good.

The drive to Cora’s apartment wasn’t long, and soon the four were getting out of the moving truck, making their way up the apartment steps. They reached the front door; Cora took a deep breath before unlocking it, entering inside.

She turned on the lights and looked around, a frown overtaking her face. She was definitely going to miss her apartment; she had invested a lot of time into decorating it. 

Kozik, Happy, and Cath filed in behind her, Cath marveling at the apartment. She had never visited Cora in Tacoma before, so she was surprised to finally see where she lived, and she was certainly impressed. The apartment itself was small, but seemed cozy and neat. The walls were a pale blue and adorned with paintings, and there were several bookshelves placed throughout the room. The whole place gave off a very scholarly vibe, which was certainly fitting for Cora. 

“This is a nice place you’ve got,” Kozik mused.

Cora managed a smile. “Thanks,” she replied. She fought back the urge to sigh, not wanting to make her sadness known. She was really going to miss her apartment.

Happy headed over to the couch, plopping himself down. He found the remote and turned on the television, flipping through the different channels.

“Way to make yourself at home,” Cath snorted. He merely looked over his shoulder and shrugged to her.

Cora pointed to the couch that Happy was occupying. “That’s a pull-out couch,” she explained. “You guys can sleep there tonight. Cath and I can stay in the bedroom.”

Happy whipped his head back around, giving Cora a funny look. “I’m not sharing the couch,” he scoffed. He pointed to the ground, muttering, “Kozik can take the floor.”

“Wait, hold up,” Kozik sputtered. “How come I have to sleep on the floor? Why can’t you?” 

“Cause I don’t wanna sleep there,” Happy countered. “Besides, I’m already sittin’ here.”

Kozik opened his mouth to respond, though Cath butt in before he could say anything. “Can’t you guys just arm wrestle or something?” she suggested. “Whoever wins can have the couch.”

“Not fair.” Happy shook his head. “He’d just win.”

“You too chicken to even try?” Kozik snickered. Happy cast him a glare, unamused by what his friend was implying. Kozik merely snorted in response, rolling his eyes. “Fine, have the couch,” he relented. “I’ll just tough it out on the floor.” 

Happy smirked, clearly satisfied, and turned back around to watch whatever was playing on the TV. As he settled in, Cath went ahead to the bedroom, claiming that she was exhausted and wanted to sleep as soon as possible. Cora didn’t know how her sister was so tired, especially considering that they had sat in a car all day, but she didn’t argue with her about it.

She watched as her sister said “goodnight” and then headed off into the bedroom, leaving Kozik and Cora to stand side-by-side, Happy off doing his own thing with the television.

Cora stood next to Kozik, pointing out different things in the room in case he needed anything, like food. “There are snacks if you get hungry,” she noted, directing him towards the kitchen. “Feel free to eat whatever you want. I need to clean everything out anyway; no point in taking food with me to Charming.”

He nodded, smiling at the free offer of food. He watched as she returned the smile, though he noted that there was something off about the expression she gave, as if she were holding back tears.

“You alright?” he asked her, concern laced within his words. “You seem upset.”

She shook her head, brushing off his worries. “I’m fine,” she admitted, though it was a lie. “Just thinking about the move.”

He could tell that she wasn’t being entirely truthful, yet he didn’t push it. Instead, he asked, “Do you have a plan for tomorrow?"

To that, Cora gave a nod. “Yeah,” she confirmed, “I think that you and Happy should go get your stuff from SAMTAC first, wrap up everything there; meanwhile, Cath and I will start boxing up clothes, knickknacks, stuff like that.” She paused, looking around the room at the paintings and her books, at everything she was going to put away and move twelve hours south.

“Makes sense,” Kozik agreed. “Shouldn’t take us long to get our stuff. We’ll come back after and help you move all the furniture out.”

Cora offered an appreciative smile. “That works,” she affirmed.

A moment of silence fell over them as they stared at one another; Cora looked into his blue eyes, feeling her heart flutter just the slightest bit as she looked to him. She blinked after she felt the sensation, averting her gaze, unsure of what to make of how she was feeling.

“I should probably go to bed,” she mumbled, to which Kozik agreed.

They exchanged their farewells before Cora left the room, heading in the same direction that Cath had earlier. Kozik stood and watched her leave, a part of him wishing that she’d return. He enjoyed speaking with her about deep shit, though he was certain that he could enjoy talking about nothing at all with her too; as long as she was involved in the conversation, he knew that it would be interesting and worth his while.

He lingered for a moment longer, gaze frozen on the door she had gone through. Happy glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of his dazed friend. Kozik was certainly acting weird; there was no denying it any longer. Happy had been noticing his friend’s change in behavior for a few days now; it was becoming more and more evident.

“What’s goin’ on with you?” he inquired, his voice gruff, demanding Kozik’s attention.

The blonde was shaken back into reality, moving his head to see his brother. “I’m okay, Hap,” he stated. 

“You sure?” the Tacoma Killer asked, prodding slightly. “You’ve been zonin’ out a lot.”

Kozik shrugged. “Didn’t realize.”

Happy frowned, narrowing his gaze. He wasn’t stupid. He knew how to read people; he understood a lot more about emotions than he let on to others. He had noticed the way that Kozik looked to Cora, the way he smiled like a fool when he saw her, and how she would return the smile right back. He didn’t know if it meant anything; it was entirely possible that they were just friends, but there was a part of him that sensed that maybe Kozik wanted more, or he did but didn’t realize it yet.

But rather than confess such a thing, Kozik merely shook his head, brushing away Happy’s interrogative stare. “Seriously,” he responded, “I’m fine.” He cast Happy a final look of assurance before turning and heading into the kitchen, going to find himself a nighttime snack.

*****

Cora couldn’t sleep. No matter how much she tossed and turned, she just couldn’t get comfortable. Her mind was buzzing with too many thoughts, working to process the slew of emotions that she felt regarding her move. She tried to think of nothing, to clear her mind and allow herself to relax, but she was unsuccessful. She simply could not fall asleep.

Groaning, she sat up in bed, looking over at her sister, who was snoring next to her. “Glad to know one of us is getting some rest,” Cora mumbled. She sighed before standing up quietly, not wanting to make noise and risk awakening anyone.

She made her way out of her bedroom, tiptoeing through the living room, past Kozik and Happy, heading for the balcony. She had never been a huge fan of her apartment balcony, mostly because of her fear of heights, but she was desperate to clear her head, hopeful that maybe some fresh air would be the necessary solution.

She slid open the door and stepped onto the balcony cautiously, sitting down in one of the chairs that she had set out there. The sky was dark, but undeniably beautiful, filled with twinkling stars and a glowing, crescent-shaped moon. 

As she gazed up at the night sky, she heard the balcony door open behind her, followed by a hushed voice. “You okay?"

She didn’t need to turn around to know who was speaking; it was Kozik. “Did I wake you up?” she asked, still looking to the sky. 

“Nah,” he responded, shutting the door behind him. He sat down in the chair next to her, though he kept his gaze straight, observing the sky just as she did. “I was already up; can’t get comfortable on the floor,” he admitted with a snort. “Just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

She shrugged, gaze still aimed forward. “I guess so,” she replied softly. “My brain just won’t shut up, you know?”

“Trust me, I know.”

She finally turned to look at him, entranced. There was something comforting about having him there with her; she had only known him for a short time, yet she felt like she could trust him. After all, he had proven himself to be a good advice giver. 

“Want to play therapist again?” she wondered with a light laugh.

He smirked at her question, gazing into his wide, brown eyes. “Sure, why not?”

She cleared her throat, taking a moment to sort out what she wanted to say; she wasn’t quite sure how to properly explain what she was feeling. 

“I guess I’m just feeling out of control,” she confessed slowly. “My life is changing a lot. Everything I’ve built for myself here is going away, and…” she trailed off, stopping herself from continuing.

Kozik tilted his head to the side, studying her expression, trying to figure out what she was omitting from the conversation. “And what?” he prompted. 

She looked at him, giving in with a sigh. She continued, “I keep worrying about all the potential bad stuff that Charming is going to bring into my life.” She ran a hand through her hair, stressed. “I know that moving back home is the right thing to do, but I can’t help but feel anxious about what it could mean for me.”

“You’re scared to face the past,” he murmured, understanding.

At his words, she looked to him, nodding. “Yeah, I am,” she admitted. “I know I need to, and frankly, I should’ve done it much sooner. But it was just so much easier to run, to keep pretending like everything and everyone in Charming didn’t exist.” She paused, gawking at herself. “God, what kind of counselor am I? I can’t even practice what I preach.” She bent her head, looking to her hands, upset. 

“Hey, no need to beat yourself up about it,” he comforted. He reached out, placing a hand on her arm, as if to help soothe her. “You left because it was the only way you knew how to cope. But you’re stronger now, and I’m sure you’ll do real well for yourself in Charming.”

Cora lifted her head up, her eyes meeting Kozik’s yet again. “I hope so.”

“I promise you, everything’ll be fine,” he assured her, smiling gently.

She nodded, accepting his words. She trusted his judgement; and frankly, she felt much calmer after hearing him talk. They stared at one another for a moment before, finally, she leaned forward, pulling him into a hug. He was shocked at her gesture, but slowly returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her, and holding her close. “Thank you,” she mumbled quietly. 

He smiled to himself, savoring the moment, reveling in the hug that they were sharing, unsure of if he even wanted to let go. So, he held on for as long as he could, enjoying their closeness, and the way she felt in his arms.

Eventually, Cora was the one to pull back from their hug. He looked into her eyes as they shifted apart, a strange feeling overcoming him as he gazed at her. She was undoubtedly beautiful, both inside and out. 

“I should probably head back to bed,” she murmured. “I think I might be able to get to sleep now.”

He smiled at her comment, glad to know that he had been of help to her. Giving her a nod, he watched as she stood up, saying “goodnight,” before reentering the apartment. Kozik didn’t follow after her.

Instead, he sat, staring at where she had just been moments before, a thought popping into his head, one that both shocked and excited him. 

He wanted to kiss her.


	12. Chapter 12

It was later the next day; Kozik and Happy had already left for the SAMTAC clubhouse, needing to pick up their belongings and say goodbye to their brothers. While they were busy, Cora and Cath remained at Cora’s apartment, boxing up all of her things.

They were going through her bedroom closet, packing away her clothes. A few times, Cath stopped to gape at some of the outfits her sister had. When it came to fashion, the two were most definitely polar opposites. Cath was all about comfortability rather than formality.

“I don’t know how you can walk around in a pencil skirt all day,” Cath gawked, holding up one of her sister’s skirts, wrinkling her nose. “These look uncomfortable.”

Cora merely shrugged. “They’re not awful,” she countered. “I think they look nice, more professional.” She took a moment to study the outfit that Cath had on, which was just a crop top and a pair of sweatpants “Certainly better than what you have on.” 

Cath rolled her eyes playfully at her twin before tossing the skirt into one of the boxes, picking up the next piece of clothing. 

As they continued cleaning through her closet, Cora found her mind drifting away, the memory of her nighttime chat with Kozik rising to the surface. It seemed that the blonde biker was always around when she needed someone to vent to about her thoughts and feelings.

There was something about him that was comforting and trustworthy, and she liked talking to him. He didn’t seem as emotionally closed off as some of the others club members. He wasn’t cold or intimidating, and there was something about him that was relatable rather than off-putting. 

It wasn’t often that Cora warmed up to people so quickly. She was cordial with everyone she met, but she was slow to open up and talk about her innermost feelings. But with Kozik, things were different. Something about him felt familiar; she could talk freely with him, and that was something that she could do with very few others.

Cath looked to her sister, watching as Cora got lost in thought, staring blankly as she sorted through her clothes. “You okay?” Cath asked. When Cora gave no response, she tossed a shirt at her. “Earth to Cora!”

Cora blinked, pulling herself away from her thoughts, giving a nod to her sister. “Yeah, I’m alright,” she replied. “Just thinking.”

A smirk overtook Cath’s face. “Bet I know who you’re thinking about,” she teased. 

“Shut up.” Cora rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what Cath was getting at; she was inquiring about Kozik. “We’re just friends,” she replied with a wave of her hand, dismissing the question.

“You sure?” Cath inquired devilishly. 

Cora frowned, shooting a glare in her twin’s direction. “Yes, we’re just friends,” she confirmed. 

“I’m not so convinced,” Cath mused, picking up another one of Cora’s skirts as she spoke. “The moment Kozik walks into a room, you start grinning like a fool,” she snickered and tossed the skirt into a nearby box.

“What are you suggesting?” Cora asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her twin shrugged in response. “Nothing,” she admitted casually. “Just making observations.” She cast Cora another smirk before looking back down at the clothes in front of her, sifting through them.

Cora grumbled to herself, trying to brush away the thoughts that Cath’s prying had brought to mind. “We’re just friends. I’m not looking for romance,” she muttered, “and he wouldn’t go for someone like me anyway. I’m sure he’s got plenty of croweaters to choose from.” 

Cora brushed off the possibility of them ever being more than friends. It just seemed impractical for her to consider such a thing. She loved SAMCRO, but she wasn’t sure that she was suited for their lifestyle. Besides, she had her career to focus on; and being in Charming, having to start over entirely, certainly meant that she couldn’t allow herself to get distracted from her work.

Cath nodded, accepting her twin’s response. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” She paused looking at all of the clothes that were littered across the room. “He’s not your type anyway,” she remarked. “You’ll need a guy who matches your fashion sense; I’m thinking someone who wears nothing but tuxes.”

Cora rolled her eyes at her twin, fighting a smile. She had to admit, it was nice to be connecting with Cath again. That was one of the positives of returning to Charming.   
Silence slowly fell over the two, their conversation dying down as they both refocused their attention on folding and packing away Cora’s clothes. There was still much to do for the move, and only so much time left to do it. 

*****

It was early the next morning, and Cora, Cath, Kozik, and Happy were getting ready to leave. They had spent the previous day loading up the moving truck, clearing everything out of Cora’s house. The process had been long and tiring, and had taken them all day. They had decided to spend the night once again. 

But now, everything was finally finished, and they were able to head back to Charming once and for all. Cora’s apartment was officially empty, and she was ready to kiss her life in Tacoma goodbye forever.

Kozik, Happy, and Cath headed to the moving truck, carrying the last few boxes of Cora’s things; Cora had a small box in her arms too, but she hesitated to take it straight to the truck, wanting to take a moment to look around at her apartment one last time. She noted how the pale blue walls were now bare, and there were imprints in the carpet from where her furniture used to be. There was no life to the place anymore.

She couldn’t remember a time when her apartment felt so desolate. She had been living there for almost three years now; it had truly become her home, a place of comfort and familiarity. But now, as she surveyed the area, she felt misplaced, as though she were in a foreign land. 

Sighing, she slowly made her way out of the apartment, leaving the emptiness behind. She shut the door behind her, locking it with the key as she tucked the small box she was carrying under her arm. As she pocketed the key, she made a mental note to have Kozik stop by the office on their way out, so she could return the key to the apartment owner. Once the key was gone, then the move really would be final.

Cora turned, heading down the apartment steps and approaching to the moving truck. She didn’t look back at the building once, not wanting to upset herself further. She just needed to accept the truth; Tacoma was going to become nothing more than a distant memory, while Charming was going to become her reality. She was getting a new place, a new job, and she was going to renew her relationship with her father and twin. 

A lot was changing, but everything was going to be fine, somehow. She was determined to make the best of her time in Charming; she was going to find happiness there, and not allow the past to consume her. There would be no more running; rather, she would face everything head-on.

Happy and Cath were leaning up against the side of the truck by the time Cora caught up with them. Kozik was still hanging around the trunk, waiting for Cora to put the last of her belongings away. She met up with him, handing the small box to him; he placed it carefully amongst the other containers and pieces of furniture. Then he promptly shut the trunk, locking it tightly, ensuring that nothing would fall out. 

“Thanks for all your help,” Cora said, smiling faintly at the blonde biker as he finished securing the trunk’s latch.

He turned around to face her. “No problem,” he responded, managing a grin. In the forefront of his mind, memory of their balcony conversation played over and over again, reminding him of the realization he had come to that night; he wanted to kiss her.

Cora rambled on, unaware of the thoughts running through Kozik’s head. She told him about needing to drop off her key, and then brought up the possibility of stopping by the clinic to grab a few final items. Kozik agreed to her ideas, grounding himself, shoving aside the chaos of his mind. They talked, working out a plan and the logistics for the day.

As they talked, Happy and Cath continued to stand in silence together, leaning against the side of the moving truck a few feet away. Happy pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, taking one out before remembering that Cath was next to him. “You smoke?” 

Cath glanced over at Happy, noticing the pack in his hands. “Not often,” she admitted. “Just when I can afford to.” Considering her eviction, now was not one of those times.   
He held the pack of cigarettes out to her. “Want one?” he offered. 

Cath shrugged. “Why not?” She took one from the pack and held it out as he lit it. “I don’t pass up on free stuff.”

Happy stared at her, watching as she took a puff of her cigarette. “Money tight?” he asked. He didn’t know much about Cath, except for the fact that she lived with Unser and everyone called her a train wreck.

“Yeah,” she confessed. “I don’t make much as a waitress.”

“You must be a shitty waitress then,” he replied smugly.

“Oh, I am,” she agreed. “But there aren’t many other jobs that I qualify for.” 

Aside from waitressing, Cath could only think of one or two other careers that she might qualify for, one of which involved helping Gemma at TM. The matriarch had offered several times to hire her, but Cath always turned her down, not wanting to be employed out of pity.

It was in that moment that Cath realized just how underqualified she truly was; though, that wasn’t always the case. At one point, she had attended community college for a while. However, she had only studied for a year, so she walked away without a degree. 

Her major had been in Spanish; she only chose it because it was one of the few classes that she had been good at in high school. She had a knack for learning languages, which she chalked up to the fact that her mom was trilingual. High school and college were two entirely different settings though; despite being good at Spanish, the work proved to be too much to handle. Plus, she missed being in Charming; she missed her friends and family and having few responsibilities. So, she gave up one college and dropped out; and she had been in Charming ever since. But now, she was paying for her decision by working as a waitress and not being able to afford her own apartment.

“I get it,” Happy remarked in his usual gruff tone. “This is the only job for me.” He patted the patches on his cutte.

“It pays well though, doesn’t it?” Cath exhaled a stream of smoke, as she thought about the guys at SAMCRO. Most of them all had houses, nice ones too, which meant that they had to at least be making a decent amount.

Yet, Happy’s face seemed to oppose Cath’s preconceptions. “Doesn’t pay enough when you’ve got a sick mom.” He finished off his cigarette, flicking it the ground. “I’ve learned to be mindful of excessive spending.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so cigarettes aren’t excessive spending?” she quipped. He met her with a dark gaze, unimpressed with her comment. She rolled her eyes playfully.

Before Happy could saying anything in response, he was interrupted by the truck’s engine roaring to life, followed by Cora as she tapped on the window behind them. “Time to go!” she called from the other side of the glass.

Cath put out her cigarette, and then opened the door, hopping inside. Happy followed suit, getting into the passenger seat, and buckling up. He fiddled with the radio as Kozik adjusted the mirror.

Looking at Cora through it, Kozik smirked. “You ready for another twelve hour drive?”

She grinned back at him, trying to remain hopeful and excited for the next chapter of her life. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Then let’s go.”

*****

The sun was beginning to set, night steadily approaching. The gang had already stopped for dinner along the way, and were now a little over halfway to Charming. Music was playing over the radio as the moving truck cruised down the highway. Kozik had his hands gripped to the steering wheel, his eyes trained on the road.

In the backseat, Cora and Cath were asleep, having nothing else to do to pass the time. They dozed soundly, their expressions tranquil as they dreamed.

Happy looked over his shoulder, having realized that the girls had been quiet for quite a while. It was then that he noticed that they had fallen asleep. He took their slumber as an opportunity to press Kozik a bit, wanting to get some long-awaited answers out of him. Happy was done beating around the bush, so he got straight to the point. 

“What’s goin’ on with you and Cora?” he asked bluntly. 

Kozik’s jaw dropped, not expecting the Tacoma Killer to ask such a question. He glanced over at Happy for a split second, caught off guard. “What?” he replied, still in disbelief.

Happy wasn’t someone who normally asked about Kozik’s relationships. In fact, Happy didn’t really pry much into Kozik’s life in general. The two were friends, and had been so for a while, but they always maintained secrecy regarding their personal lives, unless something involved the other. So, Happy asking Kozik about Cora seemed a bit out of the norm.

“Don’t play dumb,” Happy chided, his gaze narrowing on the blonde biker. “I know you went out to the balcony with her.”

Kozik eyes went wide, more surprise washing over him. “You were awake?” he wondered, thinking back to that night. “But your eyes were closed.”

“I’m a light sleeper,” Happy stated gruffly. “Every Son should be. You never know when somethin’ might happen.”

“True,” Kozik muttered. He kept his gaze focused on the road, his hands still gripping the steering wheel intensely. “Why do you care anyway?” he finally asked, giving his friend the side-eye, still unsure of his intentions. 

Happy shrugged. “No reason,” he responded, mirroring the same vague answers that Kozik had been giving to him all week. 

Kozik rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything else, hoping that maybe Happy would drop the subject. Yet, he didn’t.

Without a second thought, the Tacoma Killer went ahead with his next question, his tone blunt. “You lookin’ to—”

He didn’t even have to finish the question; Kozik already knew where it was headed. The blonde cut Happy off before the last few words could leave his mouth. “No, I’m not trying to hook up with her,” he bit out. “She’s not some croweater.”

“Didn’t say she was,” Happy replied sharply. “Just wonderin’ if there’s somethin’ goin’ on.” He paused, glancing briefly over his shoulder, ensuring that the twins were still sleeping. Once he had confirmation, he turned back around, looking to his friend. “It’s obvious you’re interested in her,” he mused. “You’re no good at hidin’ it.”

Kozik bit his lip, suppressing an annoyed sigh at Happy’s observance; he certainly knew a lot more about people than he let on. “She’s a great lady,” Kozik admitted finally, giving into the conversation. “She’s real smart, sweet as hell, and beautiful.” He paused a moment, lifting his head to stare back at her through the car mirror. “But I’m not trying to hook up with her. She deserves better than that.”

“Don’t gotta hook up with her,” Happy countered. “Knowin’ you, you’re not that type of guy anyway.” In all eight years of knowing Kozik, the Tacoma Killer couldn’t recall many times when he’d witnessed Kozik with any of the croweaters, though he’d never cared to ask why. 

“So, what am I supposed to do?” Kozik retorted, glancing over at his friend questioningly. “Make her my old lady?” He scoffed at the idea the instant that he suggested it. “Cause that seems real logical.”

“Not my job to tell you what to do,” Happy remarked. He lit a cigarette, rolling down the car window to keep the smoke from collecting inside. “Was just curious; thought it was worth askin’ about.” He took a puff of his cigarette before exhaling smoke. “Never seen you act like that with a chick before.”

Kozik shrugged lightly. “She’s a good lady,” he confessed, “but that doesn’t mean I wanna be with her.” He paused, thinking back to the night on the balcony and the urge he had felt, wanting to kiss her. There was a piece of him that was curious to see what would happen if they took things further, yet he knew it was a stupid desire to have. She wanted a normal, stable life; he didn’t have that to offer her. 

As dumb as it sounded, Kozik wasn’t looking for anymore hook-ups; he had learned about those the hard way. If he wanted to be with someone, he wanted it to be something serious, something committed. Cora just didn’t seem right for that; she didn’t seem like someone who wanted to be an old lady.

While Cora was connected to the club, she wasn’t necessarily involved in it. She didn’t really know much about what went on, and she was often able to go through life without it causing too many problems for her. But if she were to commit to any of the members, all of that would change. She’d become a direct target to all their enemies; she’d be put in the middle of all the drama, all the violence, all of the club’s actions and decisions. All of those things would keep her from having a normal life, from having a successful career. He didn’t want to do that to her, and he had a strong feeling that she wouldn’t want to do that to herself either, especially considering how hesitant she had been to simply move back to Charming.

“Being her friend is enough,” Kozik mumbled, though his words were only half-truthful.

Happy said nothing else; he just continued smoking as the music played in the background and the sun set for the day.

*****

It was almost midnight by the time they made it back to the SAMCRO clubhouse. Cath and Cora had somehow managed to sleep through the whole rest of the trip, much to Kozik and Happy’s surprise. 

Kozik pulled into the TM parking lot, bringing the moving truck to a stop. As the engine settled, Happy looked back at Cath, who was still sleeping soundly, completely oblivious to what was going on around her. 

The original plan was to return Cath to Unser’s house, but with it being so late, neither of the bikers felt right just dropping her off there. It just made more sense for both twins to spend the night at the clubhouse.

Kozik noticed Happy staring at Cath, nudging him. “Can you wake her up?”

Happy glanced over at his friend, raising an eyebrow. “Me?” Happy wasn’t really sure how to wake her up, at least not kindly. If he ever had to wake up any of his brothers, his go-to move was to slap them awake or to dump a beer over their head.

“I’ll handle Cora,” Kozik explained, “so you need to wake up Cath.”

Happy scowled, but agreed, unbuckling and getting out of the moving truck. He walked around the side, opening the door. He stared in at Cath as she dozed quietly, before reaching out and nudging her. She stirred, but didn’t wake up. He glanced up to see Kozik gently shaking Cora.

Grumbling, he shook her arm, trying to mirror Kozik, though he wasn’t being nearly as gentle; he didn’t have the patience for that. After a few forceful shakes, she opened her eyes, her face flooding with confusion. “What the fuck?” she rasped, sitting up.

“We’re back,” he replied gruffly. “You slept through the rest of the trip.”

“I did?” she wondered, her voice groggy. She rubbed at her eyes before stretching out her arms and legs, her muscles stiff from sleeping in an awkward position.

Happy nodded, and then, to Cath’s surprise, offered a hand, helping her out of the truck. She took a step onto the pavement with his help before releasing his hand and thanking him. Then she followed after him, heading into the clubhouse, eager to go lie down in a real bed again.

Meanwhile, Kozik was still trying to wake up Cora, though he wasn’t having much success. Somehow, she had gone from being the girl who couldn’t fall asleep the other night to being the girl who seemed more dead than a dead person.

Sighing, he gave up trying to wake her. She was clearly exhausted, likely from all of the stress and chaos of the move; waking her up only to take her into the clubhouse to go right back to sleep just seemed kind of pointless. So, rather than wake her up, he unbuckled her seatbelt, and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her bridal-style out of the moving truck.

He tried not to pay too much attention to her as he held her in his arms. He knew that if he looked down at her then he’d start thinking about how beautiful she was, and from there, it would turn into him imagining ridiculous delusions. Wanting anything more than a friendship from her was a dumb idea; it was a thought that he desperately needed to abandon. Only, he didn’t know how. 

There was something about her that he just couldn’t shake. He was intrigued by her, consumed with curiosity; he wanted to be daring and make a move, at least give things a try, but doubt hung in his mind, telling him that such an attempt would just end horribly. He would be ruining her life by trying to pursue her. She wanted her life to be as normal as possible; being with him would just drag her farther into the club and farther away from normalcy.

Kozik carried her into the clubhouse, keeping his eyes focused before him. As he walked in, he spotted Happy with a beer.

The Tacoma Killer didn’t say anything as he watched Kozik walk by with Cora in his arms. Instead, Happy merely shook his head, rolling his eyes. It was evident that Kozik was trying to act as though his feelings for her weren’t growing, though he was failing miserably at it.

“Idiot,” Happy grumbled, taking a sip of his beer. Who was Kozik fooling? There was no way in Hell that he was going to be okay with just being Cora’s friend. Anyone, even the dumbest of people, could see that.


	13. Chapter 13

About a week had passed since the move. Within that time frame, Cora had spent her time putting her new apartment together. So far, her new place was turning out to be quite nice, though she was still learning to adjust to it. Her new apartment was smaller and designed differently than her place in Tacoma. Regardless, she still liked her new home. It was certainly better than continuing to sleep in the SAMCRO dorm rooms.

Aside from organizing her new apartment, Cora had been busy with her new job at St. Thomas. She had yet to actually start working there, but she had been given the chance to set up her office, tour the hospital, and get to know the head clinical pharmacist, Dr. Reid. The two were going to be working together quite a lot; when Cora wasn’t helping patients transition out of the hospital and into rehab, she was to be working with Dr. Reid to determine the best medication plans for patients, ensuring that they wouldn’t form addictions.

So far, Cora really liked the young pharmacist. Technically, she was Cora’s superior, yet she treated Cora as an equal, insisting that she call her Emilia rather than Dr. Reid. Cora was excited to work with Emilia, and she was eager to try out her new job; it was going to be very different than her work in Tacoma, but she had a feeling that it was going to be just as rewarding.

Cora sat at her dining room table, drinking a cup of coffee as she thought about work, her eyes skimming over the calendar she was filling out. She was scheduled to start working in a few days, and had agreed to work five days a week, just as she had in Tacoma.

As she was flipping through her calendar, marking down the dates and times of her upcoming shifts, she heard a knock on the front door. She put her pen down and got up, heading to the door. She stood on her tiptoes, peering out through the peephole, and found herself faced with the sight of her father.

Opening the door, she greeted her father, trying to mask her surprise; she hadn’t expected him to stop by, especially early in the day when he usually had a shift at the station. “Hey, dad.” She gestured at him to take a step inside, intrigued and eager to know what he was doing at her place.

Unser entered hesitantly into her apartment, only taking a few steps inside. Upon entering, he gazed around at the interior, amazed. Cora had only just moved in, yet the apartment already seemed quite homey. “It’s looking real nice in here, Coralie,” he noted, a slight smile growing on his face. 

“Thanks.” Cora paused a moment, watching as he continued to look around. She observed him for a little while longer, grinning at the wonder in his eyes before she finally cleared throat. “So, what brings you by?” she asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

Her snapped from his daze, looking to her rather than the décor of her apartment. “No, the town fundraiser is today. You know, the one that Gemma runs,” he explained. “I was wondering if you’d want to go with me.”

His words finally clicked in Cora’s mind, jogging her memory. “Oh, yeah, I know what you’re talking about,” she admitted. “It’s the one that raises money for the school district; Gemma started in when I was in high school.”

Unser nodded. “Yeah, that’s the one,” he confirmed. “I’m helping Charming PD with their stand, and Gemma is making her chili. I thought you’d might like to go.”

Cora shrugged. “Sure, why not?” She didn’t have much else to do. Her new job hadn’t officially started yet, and she was beginning to get bored of arranging and rearranging her apartment. She peaked around her father, looking out the front door. “Is Cath coming along?” she inquired.

Unser shook his head. “She’s at the diner right now,” he confessed. “But she’s going to meet up with us later.”

Cora nodded, “Oh, okay.” She paused as she stared at her father, unsure of what to say next. There was a part of her that still felt at odds with him; she sensed that he was still upset about her moving back home.

Unser noticed the confusion and uncomfortableness in her expression, knowing exactly why it was there. “You know I’m not upset with you, right?” he finally sighed, looking her in the eyes. “I respect your decision to move back.”

Cora managed a grin. “Thanks, dad.” She appreciated that he was attempting to make peace, to come to terms with her choice. She had decided to move back of her own accord; there was no reason for him to feel guilt. It wasn’t like he had forced her or guilt-tripped her into returning; she had done it willingly. “Just know that I wanted this.”

He nodded, accepting her words. “I respect that.” He watched as she took a few steps closer before reaching out and hugging him, wrapping her arms around him tightly.  
“I love you, dad,” she murmured quietly. “I just want you to be okay.”

He took a deep breath, suppressing the wave of sadness that rolled over him as he hugged his daughter. He wanted to be okay too, but he had moments where he doubted the likelihood of that happening. Stage three bladder cancer was serious; it was hard to reverse, not to mention expensive.

All Unser could muster in response was an “I love you too,” as he held his daughter. He had to admit, he had missed her a lot; eleven years had somehow felt like an eternity. If there was one good thing that would come of the present situation, it would be getting to see her more often, to feel like he really did have a second daughter.

After a few moments, Cora pulled out of their hug. “Let’s go get some chili,” she announced with a grin. He watched as she grabbed her purse, preparing to leave with him.

Unser couldn’t help but smile at his daughter, giving her a nod of approval. “Sounds like a plan.”

*****

Unser parked the car, getting out of the driver’s seat. Cora took an excited breath, following suit. She hadn’t been to one of the fundraisers in a long time; she was eager to have a good time.

As Unser and Cora made their way through the parking lot, Cora spotted Jax with Opie and his family. She practically ran after them, dragging her father along to catch up with her friends. “Hey, wait up!” she called. 

The instant she spoke, the group stopped, all turning around to face her as she reached them. Donna was the first one to react, her eyes going wide, a smile forming on her face. “Cora,” she beamed. “It’s so good to see you!”

Cora grinned widely and engulfed Donna in a hug. The two had been friends in high school; they shared a lot of the same classes and worked on projects together. Donna had even hung out with Cora, Cath, Opie, Jax, and Tara from time to time, though not often; still, she had managed to catch Opie’s eye, and he had crushed on her for all of high school.

It wasn’t until after they all graduated that the two started dating. They eventually got married and had two kids, Kenny and Ellie, and had been together ever since. Cora admired their relationship. It was clear that Opie loved his wife with all his heart.

Cora pulled back from her hug with Donna. “It’s good to see you too,” she agreed.

“I can’t believe you moved back home,” Donna marveled. She shook her head in disbelief, astonished by the whole situation.

“Me too,” Opie chimed, putting an arm around his wife. “I remember how set you were on never returning.”

Jax smirked, patting Unser on the back. “We got this guy to thank, huh?”

Unser grimaced. “Yeah, guess so.” He looked uncomfortable; the guilt he was trying to push past rose to surface. Cora noticed her father’s expression, frowning at Jax. 

Jax noted Cora’s frown, taking his hand off Unser’s shoulder, correcting himself. “What I mean is, we’re just glad you’re back. We missed having you around.”

Cora nodded before giving Jax a side-hug. He ruffled her hair as she pulled away, to which she rolled her eyes, redirecting the conversation. “How’s Abel doing?” she asked.

The mention of his son sent a smile to his face; Cora took that as a good sign. “He’s doing much better,” Jax admitted, beaming from ear to ear. “The doctors think that he might be able to come home in a month or so; he’s putting up a good fight.”

Cora grinned. “I knew he would,” she replied, smiling.

Jax gave an appreciative nod. “Yeah, he’s one tough kid.”

Before anyone could say anything else, another Son approached the group, one who Cora had gotten to know quite well. She smiled the instant she saw him, with his blue eyes and spikey blonde hair.

Once Kozik reached the group, he greeted Jax and Opie, clapping them each on the back. They exchanged light banter, both congratulating Kozik on his recent transfer. When they were done, Kozik looked down to Cora, who was still smiling foolishly at him.

All it took was one glance at her, and all of his stupid, lovesick feelings came rushing back to him. He had managed to keep her out of his head all week; being away from Charming and focusing on his transition into the Nomad charter allowed him to forget all about the young counselor. But now as she stood before him, he found himself unable to push away his emotions; she was utterly mesmerizing.

The rest of the world seemed to fade away for a moment as the two stared at one another. However, Opie’s voice managed to snap them both back to reality; he announced that he was leaving to play a game with Donna and the kids. As soon as he walked off, Jax excused himself too, going to check on Gemma. Now, Kozik, Cora, and Unser were left to stand around.

“Who’s this?” Unser asked his daughter, gesturing to the blonde biker.

Kozik introduced himself before Cora could, offering his hand to Unser. “I’m Kozik,” he announced. 

“Chief Wayne Unser,” her father responded, accepting Kozik’s hand. “You’ve got a strong grip,” he remarked, wincing a bit as that their handshake.

“Thanks,” Kozik chuckled, releasing Unser’s hand. The old Police Chief flexed his fingers a bit as Kozik continued. “I got it from being in the Marines; we had a lot of arm-wrestling competitions,” he explained.

The instant Kozik mentioned being in the Marines, Unser’s eyes went wide, a smile growing on his face. “You were in the Marines?”

Kozik nodded. “Yeah, for four years.”

“I was in the Marines too,” Unser commented with a grin, “though it was a long time ago.” He thought back to his days as a Marine; as violent as those times were, he couldn’t help but miss them. Life as a Marine was straightforward; he always knew who his enemy was and who he could trust, nor did he have to play a balancing game between the police and a biker gang. 

Unser was about to open his mouth, wanting to learn more about Kozik, but he got distracted by a uniformed man. It was a Charming PD officer, waving to him, holding up an apron and a grilling utensil in the air.

“I almost forgot,” he sighed. “I have to go help grill.” Unser enjoyed grilling, and knew that the fundraiser was for a good cause, but he truthfully didn’t want to be around his station. There were moments where he felt so out of place among his own co-workers, even more so than he did with SAMCRO.

Cora looked to the police officer and then back to her father. “Should I go with you?” she wondered. She had come with her father, so it seemed right for her to stick by his side, yet she was eager to explore the rest of the fundraiser, preferably with Kozik.

Unser noticed the way his daughter was looking at the biker, sensing that she wanted to continue speaking with him. “You don’t have to,” he replied with a shrug. “I’m going to be grilling for a while; no need for you to sit around with me.” 

“Okay, dad,” she agreed, smiling. “Just come find me when you’re done.”

He gave a nod. “Of course.” They hugged before he turned and headed towards the rest of his department, saying “goodbye” and “was good meeting you” to Kozik as he walked away.

With Unser gone, Cora looked up to Kozik curiously. “How’s the Nomad life treating you?” she asked him, tilting her head to the side. 

“It’s been slow so far,” he admitted with a shrug. “I went to Rogue River the other day, and I’m heading down to SAMTAZ with Happy tomorrow; I’ll probably be there all week.”

Cora nodded, trying to hide the slight disappointment that she felt. A part of her had been hoping that he would stick around longer, though she understood that he couldn’t. So, she merely smiled in response, mumbling a quiet “cool.”

“Thanks.” He looked to her, his voice trailing off as he got distracted, staring into her wide, brown eyes. His heart skipped a beat, and he found himself reliving all of his emotions from their night on the balcony.

While on the road, she had faded into the back of his mind; he had thought that he was over her, and that whatever he had felt towards her was just a trick of his mind. But now that he was before her again, watching her smile and gaze at him as though he were someone important, he found himself defenseless, consumed by his emotions.

Cora truly was a remarkable woman; he couldn’t help but think about how lucky someone would be to date her. Although, he knew that some of the Sons might disagree with his thinking; she wasn’t like a typical croweater or old lady, though that was what was appealing about her to him. 

Being around her made Kozik feel normal; she looked to him as though he was just like anyone else. He felt like he could be himself around her; he didn’t have to put up a front and act like a tough, heartless biker all of the time. He enjoyed being a Son, but it was nice to have a break from that every once in a while, to have someone to turn to that could make him feel less like a criminal.

After a few quiet moments of looking into her eyes, of failing to fend off the feelings he felt, Cora finally spoke back up again. “You want to go get some chili?” she asked.

Kozik grinned at her question, giving a small nod. “Yeah; I’m starved.”

“Good,” she beamed. “Gemma’s chili is the best.” She started off in the direction of the SAMCRO tent, gesturing lightly to him; he followed after her, smiling widely as he went. 

*****

Cath maneuvered her way through the crowd, trying to find where her twin sister was. She had just gotten off from work and had rushed over to the fundraiser in a hurry; she had easily located her father at the Charming PD tent, because he was there grilling sausages with the other cops. He told her not to wait around for him though, suggesting that she find Cora instead. When asked where Cora was, he told her that she had gone off with Kozik, but had no idea where they went; and so far, they were proving difficult for Cath to find.

“How hard is it to find a shorter version of myself?” she grumbled under her breath. She turned, still searching for her sister amongst the sea of people. That’s when she and bumped into a familiar man.

“Cath?”

She looked up at the man she had run into, a glare coating her face. “David,” she grumbled back. 

Cath was not a huge fan of the Deputy Chief, especially now that she knew that he had broken up with Cora intentionally, wanting her to leave because of the club. In a way, he was to blame for Cora being in Tacoma for so long; if not for their break-up, she might not have gotten the nerve to leave in the first place. 

“What brings you here?” he wondered.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Cath countered, looking at him suspiciously. “Shouldn’t you be grilling with the other cops?” 

He shook his head. “No, I’m just patrolling right now, keeping everyone safe.” 

She snorted, rolling her eyes at the Deputy Chief. “Keeping everyone safe?” she remarked. “From what? The big bad bikers?” Somehow David always managed to make everything about the Sons, and it pissed Cath off to no avail.

David didn’t say anything in response; he knew that it would just lead to an argument. Cath had been pitted against him ever since he had broken up with Cora, manipulating her into leaving town. At least now Cath had finally gotten what she wanted; Cora was back for good.

David looked down at Cath, redirecting the conversation. “Are you looking for someone?” he asked, thinking back to how they bumped into one another. Cath had seemed like she was in a hurry, eagerly searching for someone.

She made a face at him. “Cora,” she scoffed. “Who else would I be looking for?”

Again, David said nothing. There were a million responses that he could’ve given to her, though he knew that they were comments which would just lead to more unnecessary arguing. Instead, he offered some assistance. “Maybe she’s with Gemma,” he suggested. He scanned through the crowd until his eyes found the SAMCRO tent.

Sure enough, Cora was there. She was standing in front of the tent with a blonde man who was smiling brightly at whatever she was saying. Shock coated David’s face as he noticed the kutte on the man’s back; she was talking to a Son, and worse yet, it was a Son he didn’t recognize.

Cath watched the expression on David’s face shift. She glanced over to the tent, curious to see what had caught him so off-guard. The instant she saw Kozik beside Cora, she laughed. It seemed that she wasn’t the only one who was questioning their relationship; clearly, David sensed that there was something between them too.

“Who’s that?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“What?” Cath responded, a smirk forming on her face. “You jealous?”

At her inquiry, David stiffened. “No, I’m not,” he mumbled, shaking his head. “Just concerned for her.”

“Well, she’s not your concern anymore,” Cath retorted. “You broke her heart, remember?”

Guilt washed over David as he thought back to the night of their break-up. He had done it to protect her; it seemed right in the moment. But now as he looked back on it, his decision didn’t seem the most rational. After all, she was back home; their break-up had all been for nothing, and now, she hated him because of it.

“I just don’t want her to get hurt,” he replied quietly. He studied the biker next to her further, unsure of who he was, questioning his intentions. The man seemed to be a bit too friendly with Cora, smiling quite a lot at her; seeing him so joyful annoyed David more than he would’ve liked to admit. 

Cath noticed the way that David looked at Kozik, his gaze intense and scrutinizing. “Chill out,” she snorted at him. “They’re not a thing.” She watched as relief washed over his face, to which she rolled her eyes. She wished that she would’ve been able to tell David otherwise, to see his reaction to such news, yet Cora had been adamant that Kozik was just her friend and nothing more.

“Who is he?” David asked again, the tone of his voice smoothing out as he calmed a bit, assured knowing that Cora wasn’t dating the blonde biker beside her.

Cath shrugged her shoulders, smirking at the Deputy Chief. “Go find out yourself,” she suggested snidely. “If you’re brave enough, that is.” She turned, heading towards the SAMCRO stand.

Hesitantly, David followed after Cath, weaving through the crowd of people and towards the SAMCRO tent. Cora’s back was to the pair as they approached, though Kozik could see them coming, a confused look crossing over his face. Cora noticed his shift in demeanor, turning to look behind her just as David and Cath arrived. 

The moment Cora spotted her ex-boyfriend, she frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “What do you want?” she grumbled.

Kozik raised an eyebrow at her, puzzled by her sudden shift in tone; she had never seemed so intimidating before. All of her sweetness had vanished, replaced with pure annoyance. He looked to Cath, as if searching for some explanation, but she merely shook her head, telling him not to interfere.

“I was just helping Cath find you,” David told her, his expression calm, collected.

“That was nice of you.” Cora managed a smile, though it was clearly forced, holding back her darkest, innermost emotions. 

David nodded lightly before looking over to Kozik, introducing himself. “David Hale.” He offered his hand to Kozik, then added, “Deputy Chief of Charming PD.”

Kozik accepted David’s hand, shaking it firmly, his grip stronger than it had been with Unser. He wanted to intimidate the Deputy Chief a bit, and assert his dominance, especially considering how uncomfortable the man was making Cora.

“Herman Kozik,” he remarked gruffly. He looked David in the eyes and the two exchanged a slight glare; it was obvious to Kozik that David had some sort of interest in Cora, and David could see the same in Kozik. 

Before anything else could be said between the two, Cath piped up, slinging an arm around her sister. “When I went to see dad, he was still grilling,” she announced. “He probably will be for a while, so he told me to just hang out with you two.” She glanced over at Kozik, smirking. “He seemed kinda fond of you. Said something about you being a Marine?”

At that, David’s eyes went wide. “You were a Marine?” he practically spat.

“Yeah,” Kozik shrugged. “Most of the Sons have served. No big deal.”

David narrowed his eyes, a smug expression crossing over his face. “It’s funny how different our lives are after serving,” he scoffed. “I’m a police officer and you’re an outlaw.”

Kozik gave David an unimpressed look; he wasn’t fazed in the least. “Thanks for stating the obvious, Deputy.”

The air turned tense as the two men stared the other down. Growing uncomfortable with the situation, Cora spoke up. “Don’t you have grilling to get back to?” she asked David sharply.

“Actually, he has to patrol,” Cath cut in, “and keep everyone safe.” She repeated his response to her from earlier, though her words were mocking.

Grumbling David said his goodbyes before turning and stalking off, shaking his head. He did not approve of this Herman Kozik at all. Cora did not need to be forming any more ties to SAMCRO; the club was just too dangerous for her and would do her more harm than good.

As David disappeared back into the crowd, Kozik glanced over at Cora, his face coated in confusion yet again. “Who was that?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

“My ex-boyfriend.”

Her words took him by surprise, though they made a lot of sense. No wonder she had seemed so upset with him; he was the guy that had broken up with her and pushed her to Tacoma in the first place. “I’m sorry” was all he could think to say.

Cora shrugged meekly. “It’s alright,” she sighed. “Avoiding him is impossible; I’ve accepted that.” A light frown crossed over her face as she struggled to brush the interaction with David away.

Looking to change the subject, Cath nudged her sister. “Is that Happy guy around here?”

Cora looked to Cath with an amused expression on her face. “What?” she inquired. “You miss him or something?” She smirked at her sister; it was nice to be the one doing the teasing for once.

Cath rolled her eyes. “Nah, it’s just that the four of us kind of became a group, you know?”

Kozik chuckled, though he shook his head. “He’s visiting family today,” he explained.

Cath nodded understandably, thinking back to their conversation regarding his sick mother. “Makes sense.” She paused for a moment, looking around at all of the different tents.

“Well, then,” she began, “why don’t we go watch Bobby Elvis?” 

Cora grinned. “Good idea.” She took a step in the direction of his tent, gesturing for Kozik and Cath to follow. She was determined to have a good time and to put her interaction with David far behind her. “Let’s go.”


	14. Chapter 14

Another week passed, one which kept Cora on her toes. Her job at St. Thomas had officially started, and so far, it was going well. She quite liked working with Dr. Emilia Reid, and found that while what she did at St. Thomas was very different than what she had done in Tacoma, it was still fulfilling. Her new job was also much more demanding than it had been at the clinic, though Cora enjoyed that; she liked feeling busy, and was glad to finally have something to do aside from organize her apartment. 

Working also took away from her time spent with her family and friends at SAMCRO. Cora hadn’t had time to visit the clubhouse during the week, though in the process, she had managed to dodge a ton of drama. And from what Cath had told her over the phone, Cora had certainly missed a lot.

From what she had understood from her conversations, Gemma had assaulted some croweater and ended up in prison. The ATF were also in town, and something had gone down between Tara, Jax, and one of the agents, though Cora wasn’t given the specifics of that matter. To top it all off, the Nords and Mayans were somehow working together, conspiring against the Sons; apparently, they had something to do with warehouse explosion from earlier in the month.

It seemed like quite a lot all at once, so Cora was glad to have been separate from it. She had only been back for about two weeks, and she wanted to enjoy at least a little bit of normalcy before getting mixed up with the club.

Cora glanced up at her office clock. It was 5 PM, so it was time for head to home for the day. She packed up her things, stuffing them into her workbag before making her way out of her office and over to Emilia’s. The pharmacist was sitting at her desk, reading through some paperwork, her glasses on, and coppery hair tied back in a low bun. Cora liked how professional Emilia always looked; it made her feel less out of place at work. At the clinic, Cora had been one of few to dress so fancily, so it was assuring to see Emilia present herself in a similar way.

“I’m heading out,” Cora told the pharmacist with a smile. 

Emilia looked up to Cora, turning her attention away from the papers on her desk. “Alright,” she grinned back. “I’ll see you tomorrow at nine o’clock, right?”

Cora gave a confirming nod before saying “goodbye” and exiting Emilia’s office. She clutched her workbag close, making her way down the hospital hallway and towards the exit. But before she could leave, she heard someone call her name, bringing her to a halt.

“Hey, Coralie.”

Cora didn’t need to look behind her to know who it was. There was only one person who called her by her full name and never by her nickname. “Dad?” She turned around, studying her father as he stood before her. “What are you doing here?”

“I just came from an appointment,” he explained.

Cora gave him a puzzled look. “Did Cath not come with you?” From what Cora had been told, Cath was to be taking Unser to all of his appointments. But as Cora looked around the hallway, she didn’t see Cath anywhere.

Unser shook his head. “No, she’s here,” he replied. “She’s still talking to the doctor, asking about treatment costs and whatnot.” Cora gave a small nod as Unser clarified, “I had to step out of the room; it’s all a little overwhelming.”

Cora offered a sympathetic smile; she took a few steps closer to her father, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, dad,” she lamented. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” he mumbled. He looked to his daughter, thinking silently to himself, his mind wandering to the events from earlier in the day. “Work was hectic today,” he admitted.

Cora raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?” With everything going on with SAMCRO, she figured that what Unser was about to say had something to do with them. She just hoped it was more good news rather than bad.

“I had to bring Clay in for questioning; someone tried to kill him last night. Darby too.” He watched as Cora’s eyes went wide, mumbling “shit” under her breath. Unser continued with his story, adding, “I think you’ll be glad to know, I punched Darby right in the stomach.”

At that, Cora’s eyebrows lifted in pleasant surprise, a smirk overtaking her face. “No way,” she chuckled, her tone disbelieving.

“Yeah,” he remarked. “Darby attacked Hale. I went in to confront him, and he started making all these racist comments.” Unser shook his head. “I don’t tolerate that kind of talk; don’t care who it’s from. So, I punched him.”

“Thanks for sticking up for us, dad.” Cora patted his arm, a light smirk still plastered to her face. “You know, you’re tough enough to be in SAMCRO,” she joked.  
He snorted at her comment. “I don’t think they’d want a cancer patient on the team.”

Cora shrugged. “Piney’s got on an oxygen tank. He’s no better off than you, and yet they still let him stay.”

Unser rolled his eyes, suppressing a laugh. He had forgotten how funny his daughter could be; he missed being able to joke with her. He had to admit, it was nice having that aspect of his life back.

“So what happened with Clay and Darby?” Cora wondered, redirecting the conversation. She was eager to hear the rest of his story.

“Turns out that the Mayans tried to kill them,” he explained. “I brought Alvarez in, and he talked things out with Clay. They came to some sort of an agreement.”

Cora nodded, a small smile growing on her face. “That’s good to hear,” she admitted. “Hopefully things will calm down now.” All Cora wanted was to just enjoy a calm life in Charming; if the Sons stopped making enemies then that could easily be achieved.

“Hopefully.” Unser looked to his daughter, his expression turning slightly melancholic.

Cora noticed the change, concern washing over her. “Are you alright, dad?”

He sighed. “Yeah, I’m alright,” he assured her. “I just don’t want things to get bad here in Charming, especially now that you’re back.” She put a comforting arm around him as he continued. “I want you to be happy, just like you were in Tacoma.”

Cora smiled at her father, in hopes of calming him. “I will be happy,” she told him. Her words were meant for him, though they also felt like a declaration to herself, as though she were trying to convince her own mind that nothing was going to go wrong. “Everything will turn out alright.” She thought back to the months leading up to her escape to Tacoma. “Trust me, things can’t get any worse than they were eleven years ago.”

Unser nodded, agreeing with his daughter, though deep down he knew that things could always get worse, and they likely would.

Before he could say anything else, Cath entered into the hallway, searching for her father. She smiled when she caught sight of him with her twin; she felt like her family was behaving like a real family again, and she couldn’t have been happier about that. Cora caught sight of Cath almost immediately after she arrived; she waved to Cath, who made her way over, handing a packet to Unser once she reached them. “I scheduled you your first treatment next week,” she announced. “Insurance is covering the cost; they should be able to for a while.”

Unser took the packet, grinning at her in thanks. He opened it up, flipping through some of the information inside; it was mostly just information regarding pre-procedure protocol. As he looked over it, Cora glanced over to Cath. “If you ever need help with the costs, I can lend some money.”

Cath shook her head profusely. “No need,” she insisted. “Dad’s insurance is doing just fine; and if they bail on him, he’s still got the police job and shipping company to fall back on.” She watched as Cora nodded, though her expression looked slightly disappointed, as though she was hoping to help with Unser’s cancer treatments in some way.

“Oh, okay,” she replied, “that’s fine.” She paused losing herself in thought as she watched Unser continue skimming through the packet.

“Guys are having a small party tonight,” Cath remarked. Her words were enough to snap her twin from her trance; Cora looked away from Unser, turning back to Cath, raising an eyebrow.

“Because of the deal with the Mayans?”

“Yeah,” Cath responded, “I think so.” Unser finished reading the packet, handing it back to Cath as she continued, “You should tag along.”

Cora practically scoffed at her sister. “A small party?” she marveled. “You sure this is a small party? The guys never have small parties.”

Cath merely shrugged in response. “That’s what I was told.” Cath studied her twin’s face, noticing the hints of skepticism; Cora had never been a fan of parties, so her hesitance made sense. Then, an idea popped into Cath’s mind; she knew exactly what, or rather who, would get Cora straight to the clubhouse. “Kozik’s gonna be there,” she added.

At that, Cora’s face lit up just the slightest bit; she wrestled with the thought of going before finally giving in, eager to speak with the blonde biker again. She enjoyed their conversations, and was curious to hear more tales about his life as a Nomad. 

“Fine,” Cora groaned, fighting off a grin. “I’ll go.”

Cath patted her twin on the back, smirking. “Good.”

*****

It was later in the night, and the party at the SAMCRO clubhouse was starting. Cora and Cath arrived right on time, pulling into the TM parking lot. The instant they entered, they noticed a large group of people crowded around the club’s boxing ring, chanting and cheering.

“So much for a small party,” Cora snorted as Cath parked the car.

Her twin gave a light shrug. “This is still smaller than some.”

The twins unbuckled and got out of the car, approaching the crowd. Tig was the first to notice them, waving to Cath. She greeted him, dragging Cora along with her. He hugged Cath when she made it over, then handed her a beer.

“Glad you could make it,” he grinned. He glanced over at Cora, nodding to her. “You too.”

She smiled, returning the sentiment, wanting to be polite. She didn’t know much about Tig; he had prospected while she was off at college, so she never had the opportunity to get to know him like Cath did. 

From what she did know of him, he seemed like a decent enough guy, though violent and a little odd. The knowledge that he had slept with Cath also lingered in the back of Cora’s mind, though she tried not to think about it too much; that was Tig and Cath’s business, not hers. 

As she looked to Tig, Cora was also reminded of Kozik’s beef with him. She was curious as to what could have possibly created such a rift between the two, though she knew better than to press Tig on the matter.

Cora was snapped from her thoughts by Cath’s voice. “Where’d all the guys come from?” she asked Tig, taking a sip of her beer. 

The SAMCRO Sergeant-at-Arms looked around at the crowd, hearing them yell at one of the boxer’s as he got knocked down. “The deal with the Mayans affects more than just us,” he explained. “So Clay called some of the other charters down.” 

Cath gave a nod and then took another swig of her drink. Cora raised an eyebrow and nudged her sister. “You trying to get drunk?” she wondered.

Tig cut in before Cath could say anything. “She’s always looking to get drunk,” he chuckled, slinging an arm around Cath. 

“But you’re my ride home,” Cora reminded her twin. “You can’t drink and drive.”

“Well, I’m not gonna stop drinking,” Cath remarked. She downed the rest of her beer, as if making a point. “Just get someone else to drive you home. I’ll probably just crash here for the night; that’s what I do for most parties.”

Cora rolled her eyes, sighing, “Fine. I’ll just ask someone else.” 

Cath opened her mouth to respond, having something else to say, yet she stopped herself, getting distracted by Tig, who tensed up beside her. She glanced over to her friend, raising an eyebrow at him questioningly. “What’s wrong with you?”

He didn’t say anything, just continued looking ahead, a glare crossing over his face. Cath and Cora both turned, moving their heads so they could see what he was looking at.   
It was Kozik, watching them from a few feet away.

Cora could immediately sense the hatred that Tig felt for the blonde biker. Now, she could see that Kozik really hadn’t been kidding when he said that Tig had some sort of grudge against him. Cath sensed the same thing; she had never seen Tig get so tense before.

Wanting to avoid conflict, she spoke up, looking over at Cora. “He probably just wants to talk to you.”

Cora could certainly see the truth in her sister’s words; it seemed that Kozik was always looking to converse with the young counselor, though she was the same way with him. She enjoyed talking with him, and frankly, spending time with him seemed more preferable than watching Cath and Tig drink themselves to death. So, she nodded along with Cath’s words. “I should probably go over then,” she admitted. 

“Yeah,” Cath agreed, “you go do that.” She patted her sister on the back, giving her the go-ahead.

Cora turned to leave, though she stopped, pausing briefly, the slightest bit of concern for her sister washing over her. “Just don’t do anything stupid, okay?” she asked. She also wanted to add, “And don’t sleep with Tig again,” but she knew that was a little out of line.

Cath nodded, assuring her sister. Once Cora was satisfied with Cath’s answer, she turned, excusing herself and walking off.

She made her way towards Kozik; he noticed her approaching him almost immediately, their gazes locking. He cast her a smile, which she returned. “I saw you staring,” she mused, “and I took that as a hint to come over.”

He chuckled nervously. “Yeah,” he confessed, “I was hoping to talk to you, but didn’t want to approach Tig.”

She raised an eyebrow, glancing over her shoulder at Tig for a brief moment before looking back. “Seriously? What is the deal with you two?”

Kozik took a sip of the beer that he was holding, trying to piece together a response that was informative enough yet also vague. “He was my friend for a long time, but I did something stupid. He won’t let it go even though it’s been years, even though I’m a different person now,” he confessed. He sighed, though didn’t attempt to say anything further, and Cora didn’t push him. He would tell her the full truth eventually, when the time was right, and he felt comfortable to share.

“Sorry,” was all she could think to say as a reply. She paused, their conversation settling as she turned her attention to the sounds of screaming in the background, the crowd getting passionate about the fight. 

Looking to change the subject, Kozik gave Cora a nudge, noting the slightly horrified expression on her face. “First time seeing a live boxing match?” he wondered.  
She turned back to him. “Is it that obvious?” 

More cheers and hollers erupted in the distance as Kozik nodded, smirking. “You wanna learn the rules?”

“There are rules?” she asked. With how barbaric the fight behind them was getting, Cora had a hard time believing that there were actual rules; it seemed that the boxing matches at the SAMCRO clubhouse were more of a free-for-all.

“Of course there are rules,” he chuckled. “All sports have ‘em.” 

Cora looked to her feet, a sheepish expression overtaking her face. “Yeah,” she mumbled, “guess that was kind of a dumb question.”

“Nah,” Kozik dismissed, “it’s all good.” He stopped for a moment, looking around for some available seats. He spotted an empty picnic table a few feet away, gesturing for her to go sit down with him. “Let me teach you,” he offered. “I love boxing; I know all about it.”

Cora grinned, giving a small nod. Then followed after Kozik, curious to see how the rest of the night was going to play out.

*****

Cath leaned against the bar, drinking quietly as she watched some of the bikers from the Las Vegas charter play pool. She had spent a good portion of the party with Tig, as she normally did, though their fun had gotten cut short by Jax, who pulled Tig away to talk something over with Clay and the guys. She wasn’t sure what they were going to discuss, but she didn’t question them about it, knowing better than to pry. Instead, she let Tig go with Jax, leaving her to be on her own.

She finished off her beer, tossing it carelessly into the trashcan before leaning over the bar and fishing around for another one. She was already quite buzzed and knew that another drink probably wasn’t wise, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t going to drive for the night, so she had nothing to worry about.

As she searched for a new drink, she heard a gruff voice speak up from behind her. “Mind gettin’ me one?” 

She glanced over her shoulder briefly, smirking when she saw that it was Happy who had approached her. She gave him a nod before reaching over the bar again, grabbing two beers, and then turning back to face him. She handed one of the beers to him and then opened the other for herself, taking a sip.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” she mused, raising an eyebrow at him. “Being a Nomad got you busy?”

He gave a small nod. “Was down in Tucson all week.” He took a sip of the beer that she had handed him before adding, “I’ll be here a few days.” 

“Why’s that?” she inquired teasingly, a smirk forming on her face. “You miss SAMCRO?”

He shook his head. “Nah, just got a job to do for ‘em.” He paused, smiling at the thought that popped into his mind. “Gonna get myself a new tatt cause of it.”

“A tattoo?” She raised an eyebrow at him, confused.

Happy’s face lit up just the smallest bit, a devilish grin forming on his face as he provided Cath with an explanation. “I get a happy face tatt when I kill for the club.”

A shocked look crossed over Cath’s face, though it quickly turned into amusement. “Holy shit,” she marveled, “your name really is fitting.”

Surprisingly, he snorted at her comment, taking another swig of his beer. “Guess so.” 

“How many tatts you got anyway?” she wondered. Happy raised an eyebrow to which she clarified, “In total. Not talking just about the happy faces.”

He snorted. “Don’t know. Lost count.” He scanned her up and down. “You got any?”

She nodded. “One.” Her mind drifted to thoughts of the night she had gotten it; it had been a spur of the moment decision, one which she later regretted. The design she had chosen was thankfully small, but it was corny; she wished that she would’ve chosen something a little cooler and more badass. 

“What you got?” he wondered, sipping his drink. 

She bit her lip, slightly embarrassed to share what it was. Sighing, she piped, “I got a cat tattoo.” 

At her response, Happy made a face at her. “A cat?” he asked. She could hear slight disappointment in his tone.

“Yeah, I know,” she huffed. “It’s stupid, and I regret getting it.” 

“Why’d you get it?” he asked, raising a brow.

She groaned, thinking back to that ridiculous night during her first semester of college. Being away from home, she had to make a whole new group of friends; the ones she found for herself nicknamed her “Cat” instead of “Cath.” So, when the group all decided to get tattoos one night, they convinced her to get a little tattoo of a black cat to match with their nickname.

Her friendship with them had been short-lived though. She dropped out of college just months after meeting them; none of them stayed in contact with her after she left. Some friends they were; now, all she was left with was a stupid tattoo.

Sighing, Cath looked to Happy, admitting truth. “Some friends I had in college used to call me “Cat.” They convinced me to get a tattoo to match with it.” She shook her head, scowling at the memory. “God, I was dumb.”

Happy snorted in agreement. “No shit.” He set his beer down on the bar counter, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it before asking, “So where is it?”

Cath cast him a smug look, her embarrassment washing away. “That’s for me to know,” she remarked, “and for you to find out.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?"

She merely shrugged in response, smirking at the Tacoma Killer. “Whatever you want it to mean.”

*****

Cora got off Kozik’s motorcycle, stepping onto the sidewalk to her apartment. After teaching her all about boxing, and then trying to teach her how to play pool, Cora had asked him to give her a ride home. The blonde biker had kindly agreed to do so, and Cora was pleased to admit that she had actually enjoyed the experience. 

Unlike Happy, Kozik wasn’t a reckless driver, or at least with her, he wasn’t. There was also something more comfortable about riding with him; she hated to admit it, but she liked having her arms wrapped around him. He made her feel safe, like she had someone that she could count on to protect her. It was nice, and made her feel just the slightest bit better about being back home.

It was nearly midnight and Cora was exhausted. She made her way across the sidewalk and up the steps to her apartment. Kozik followed after her, wanting to be a gentleman and say “goodnight.”

When they reached the door, she turned and smiled at him. “Thanks for the ride.”

He gave a light shrug of his shoulders. “No problem.” There was a brief pause as he looked at her, as if unsure of what to say next. Finally, he spoke up. “If you ever need one again, let me know.”

She grinned at the request, nodding appreciatively, though she doubted the plausibility of his offer. “So, are you saying I can request a ride even when you’re hours away, at a different charter?” she inquired jokingly. 

He snorted, shaking his head lightly, “I don’t know about that.” 

“Are you going to be around much longer?” 

He frowned, “No, I’m leaving for SAMREN tomorrow. I’ll be gone a couple of days.” He paused, running a hand through his hair, continuing, “Hopefully, I’ll come back here afterwards though. I like SAMCRO.”

“Just patch in then,” she replied bluntly. “I think you’d make a good addition to the club.”

He smiled yet shook his head. “Nah,” he remarked, “I’d just stir up trouble. I can’t stay around for too long; gotta take breaks from the club or else Tig’ll lose his shit.”

His answer was true, though he was leaving a vital part out. He didn’t want to be in Charming for too long because he needed breaks from her. He needed some space to let his feelings die down, so he didn’t do anything stupid and get up the courage to make a move. He knew better than to try and start anything with her, unless of course she felt the same way as him.

“Why do you want me to join SAMCRO so much?” he wondered, raising an eyebrow. He had never considered that maybe she was also interested in him; it seemed highly unlikely though. She was entirely career-oriented, and she wanted normalcy, a life that was free of drama. Being a friend to SAMCRO and the daughter of the Police Chief had already caused her enough trouble; if they dated, things would just get worse, and she likely knew that.

She smirked at his inquiry, giving a shrug. “I like the free rides.” 

He chuckled at that, staring at her intently. His instincts told him to make a move, yet he managed to suppress the urge with his mind, rationalizing the situation. “Guess this is goodnight,” he mused, managing a smile. He knew that he had to leave before he got any dumb ideas.

She frowned at his announcement, yet accepted his decision all the same. “Yeah, I should probably get to sleep.” She paused, staring at him a moment, pondering something. Shakily, she took a breath. “Would you want to get coffee sometime?”

Kozik’s eye went wide. “What?” He felt like the world had just been flipped upside down. “You want to get coffee?” He was shocked by her proposal, not sure what to make of it.

“Yeah,” she replied casually. “I want to know more about you. You know a lot about me, but I don’t know much about your life.”

He managed a nod, breathing a sigh of relief. This seemed to be just a friendly outing to her. “Sure, I guess we could get coffee.” A part of him was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t a date, yet he quickly brushed those feelings aside. She was never going to be interested in him romantically; he had to just accept that fact, move on, and find someone new. He would just have to settle for being her friend; it was what was best for both of them. “It would need to be in a few days though; I’ll probably be back from SAMREN by the end of the week.”

She beamed at his response, pleased that he had accepted the invitation. “Great.” She stared at him a moment longer before admitting, “I really should get to bed now.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, “me too.”

She turned, unlocking the door to her apartment as he made his way down the steps. He paused, glancing behind him just in time to watch her head inside.


End file.
